Mateusz Morawiecki made the statement in an interview with public broadcaster Polish Radio on Friday.
Speaking to mark Poland’s Mother’s Day, the prime minister said that “the social and economic policy of the government led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party places a big emphasis on creating jobs and equal labour market opportunities for women.”
‘Poland has one of the lowest gender pay gaps in Europe': PM
Morawiecki told Polish Radio that “Poland has one of the lowest gender pay gaps in Europe.”
He said: “This is evidence of the consistency of our policy and of the fact that we’re seeking to ensure that as many people as possible have good labour market opportunities.”
The prime minister added: “Women who want to be mothers must be able to reconcile their professional career and development with motherly life.”
He argued that “Poland’s lengthy maternity leave and all our social policy measures are designed to ensure this.”
Polish gender pay gap lower than in most other OECD countries: PM
Morawiecki also said that “Poland has one of the lowest gender pay gaps among the countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).”
The OECD brings together 38 developed economies, according to officials.
The prime minister added that Poland’s gender pay gap “decreased from over 7 percent to 4.5 percent over the past eight to nine years.”
The unadjusted gender pay gap is defined as the "difference between the average gross hourly earnings of men and women expressed as a percentage of the average gross hourly earnings of men," according to the European Union's statistics agency Eurostat.
It is calculated for enterprises with 10 or more employees "to monitor imbalances in earnings between men and women," according to officials.
‘By far the highest female labour force participation rate’
Morawiecki also told Polish Radio: “Poland has by far the highest female labour force participation rate. Moreover, Poland’s overall labour force participation rate has exceeded the EU average in recent years, reaching over 70 percent, compared with the EU average of 68.3 percent.”
The prime minister noted that the government had pledged to increase the country’s flagship “Family 500+” child benefit as of next year, from PLN 500 (EUR 110) to PLN 800 (EUR 180).
He said: “Our social programmes haven’t led to a fall in labour market participation. On the contrary, we have record numbers of people on the labour market, and at the same time these social programmes have decreased poverty in Poland.”
Higher child benefits, new cash boost for pensioners, toll-free highways
Morawiecki said in the interview that the government was already delivering on its key pledges, announced by Poland's conservative leader Jarosław Kaczyński earlier this month, ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for the autumn.
Morawiecki told Polish Radio that work was under way "to increase the child benefit to PLN 800 from next year,” while lawmakers would vote later on Friday on the bill to give a new cash boost to pensioners.
Moreover, a government bill aiming to abolish highway tolls has been submitted to parliament, he said.
Morawiecki declared: “We are delivering on our pledges. Effectiveness and credibility is our trademark.”
Friday is day 457 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: polskieradio24.pl, wgospodarce.pl, ec.europa.eu