Poland's Solidarity union to stage protest in Warsaw

Solidarity, Poland's biggest trade union, will hold a demonstration in Warsaw on November 17, the union leader has announced.

Piotr Duda told Polish public radio on Thursday that Solidarity had given the government a chance to talk but they were still waiting for a meeting with the prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki.

"We can't accept that wage increases in the general public sector will amount to a mere 7.9 percent," Duda said, referring to the government's plan of a public sector wage hike from next year.

"We had inflation at 17.2 percent (year on year - PAP) in September, therefore we're not talking about pay rises but a pay regulation."

The leader added that his union demanded "a pay regulation" of at least 20 percent for the whole public sector.

Apart from higher wages, the unionists demand a cap on energy prices and introduction of early retirement for those who have worked for a set number of years, even though they have not reached the official retirement age.