Teachers Are Striking in Poland, Too
A nationwide teachers strike is underway in Poland. It’s challenging the authority of the church and forging links with the country’s resurgent feminist movement — while radicalizing a growing number of students.
A primary school in Nowogród, Poland. Ewa Jasiewicz / Twitter
On April 8, staff in over fifteen thousand schools and kindergartens in Poland began indefinite strike action. With around 75 percent of all public schools taking part in the strike and growing social support, we’re witnessing what might be the biggest teachers’ strike since 1989.
The workers, organized by the Polish Teachers’ Union (Związek Nauczycielstwa Polskiego, ZNP) and mobilized by a strong grassroots movement, are demanding higher pay. But the rage and frustration of Polish teachers is the result of longstanding policies of neglect and austerity directed at public schools (still dominant in the country, especially outside of major cities).
The strike is critical because it’s taking place the same year as the first general elections since the right-wing Law and Justice Party (PiS) took power in 2015. But it should also be analyzed in the context of local class struggles. Its victory or failure will set the stage for any future organized labor activity in Poland, especially in the public sector.
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