The increases proposed by the Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs and Administration for soldiers from PLN 400 to PLN 1,100 were not accepted. Following interministerial arrangements, the MON so developed fresh military wage rates. They are somewhat lower than originally assumed. The increases will be paid with a compensation from 1 January.
Prepared at the Ministry of Defence draft regulation on fresh military basic salaries amounts expected an increase in rates from 5.3 to 7.2%. The draft government was published on the pages of the Government Legislative Centre on 10 February. At the phase of the arrangements, comments to the task were submitted, inter alia, by finance and home affairs and administration departments. The reservations afraid not only the amounts of increases but besides the disparity between the lowest wage in another uniformed services. Deputy Minister of Interior and Administration Wiesław Szczepański proposed that the minimum wage in the military alternatively of PLN 6400 gross, as foreseen by the MON, be PLN 6300 gross, which would let to equalize the planned lowest salaries in uniform services.
Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk, representing the Ministry of Defence, in consequence to the comments made, recalled that the salaries of soldiers consist not only of a basic wage but besides of various allowances (e.g. special, official, for long - word military service is motivational). The increase in the appropriations provided for in the budget law for 2025 covers both components. – The subject of the arrangements is, on the another hand, a normative act specifying the amount of only 1 of the components of the salary, which is the basic salary. Making an assessment of the level of remuneration, based only on the proposed basic wage rates, is not objective," said Tomczyk. He besides stressed that the amount of allowances would not increase, so the amount utilized to calculate them would stay at the current level of PLN 1500. "The resources thus saved will so be allocated entirely to basic wage increases. They are part of the appropriations provided for in the budget for 2025 and do not affect the financial limits adopted, stated the Deputy Head of the MON. He besides noted that wage in the military is crucial for the recruitment and maintenance process of a adequate number of professional staff and that, in the face of the country's increased defence needs and the dynamic improvement of armed forces, competitive wages are essential to encourage fresh volunteers to service and to detain experienced military personnel.
Despite the clear position of the Ministry of National Defence on the necessity to establish increases for the professional soldiers of the Ministry of Defence, it remained against the increase in military salaries at the rates proposed by the MON. Ultimately, the Ministry of Defence changed the planned wage net slightly. – If account is taken of the provisions of the budget bill and the interministerial arrangements of the project, including the position of Minister of Finance, the basic wage groups will increase by 5% compared to 2024, the representatives of the MON inform.
According to the fresh task in the case of elder officers, salaries will increase from PLN 460 to PLN 1050 gross, and junior officers from PLN 420 to PLN 450. The elder officers can number on increases of up to PLN 390 to PLN 400, while junior officers will receive more all period from PLN 350 to PLN 370. Private professional salaries in turn will increase by 300–330 PLN. In practice, the lowest basic wage will be PLN 6,300, while the highest wage for generals will be PLN 21,950 1000 gross.
"As the Bureau of the Delegations, we have taken a negative stance on the second draft regulation, which was the consequence of comments made by the ministries on fresh proposals for increases. We stressed that the MON budget provided financial resources to increase salaries. We besides stressed the request to guarantee adequate competitiveness of wages, to keep standards of surviving and to have a strong work in the military service," he said. Col. Krzysztof Yewgiejuk, president of the Bureau of typical Bodies.
Once the Regulation enters into force, the increases will be paid off with an adjustment from 1 January.
The wages for professional soldiers shall be determined by multiplying the base amount by a circumstantial indicator. The latter, as stated in the President's regulation, is now 4.43. The basic amount in turn, according to the provisions of the budget law, increased from PLN 2088.77 to PLN 2193.21 gross.
