Pay rises despite the furnace being turned off. Wage agreement at ArcelorMittal Poland

The social side agreed on the wage agreement at ArcelorMittal Poland (AMP) with the employer, Silesian-Dąbrowa Solidarity reported on Tuesday evening. The agreement assumes raises of an average of PLN 280 per employee and payment of bonuses in 2026 up to PLN 2,160 gross.

As Mirosław Nowak, the chairman of the Solidarity trade union quoted in the information, pointed out, in negotiations with the employer, the social side took into account the difficult situation in the steel industry and the current condition of the company.

“Only one blast furnace is still operating at Huta Katowice. Together with other trade union organizations, we decided to finalize the talks as quickly as possible so that employees could feel that their pay increased this year as soon as possible,” explained Nowak.

The money is in your account by February 10

According to the union, higher payments will be transferred to the accounts of the company's employees by February 10. The basic rates of all employees will be increased by PLN 250 gross.

Additionally, an average of PLN 30 per employee will be allocated to pay and reclassification regulations, and the directors of individual plants will decide on how to allocate these funds.

Prizes and a higher allowance for “four brigade”

In addition to the increase in basic rates, employees employed in the four-brigade system will receive an increase in the allowance for work in this system by PLN 108. This means that this allowance will amount to PLN 1,268 per month on average.

Moreover, this year employees of the concern will receive awards with a maximum value of PLN 2,160. The first one: PLN 1,000 gross will be paid with the salary for January. The reward for the contribution in 2025 will amount to PLN 500 gross and will be paid in two tranches: with the salary for July and for November.

The amount of the reward for achieving a result by the company, the so-called EBITDA awards will amount to PLN 300. The award will depend on the result assumed in the business plan for individual periods. This means that her payout is not guaranteed, but if the result is better than expected, it will be increased.

What about subsidiaries?

The provisions of the wage agreement cover AMP employees covered by the collective agreement. Based on this document, pay rises are negotiated in subsidiaries in which AMP is a full shareholder: Kolprem, HK Woda and ArcelorMittal Refractories in Krakow.

In Kolprem the agreement has already been initialed and provides for the same conditions as in AMP (when increasing the meal voucher). Negotiations in HK Woda and ArcelorMittal Refractories are still ongoing.

One furnace is standing, the steelworks is in liquidation

ArcelorMittal Poland is the largest steel producer in Poland, concentrating nearly half of the production potential of the Polish steel industry. The company includes five steelworks: in Kraków, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Sosnowiec, Świętochłowice and Chorzów (in the process of liquidation since December). The group includes Zakłady Koksownicze Zdzieszowice, the largest coke producer in Poland and Europe.

AMP produces long, flat and special steel products and semi-finished products for, among others: construction, household appliances and transport industries. The company belongs to the global ArcelorMittal concern and employs over 9,000 people in Poland. persons, with subsidiaries.

AMP from September this year. temporarily stopped one of the two Dąbrowa blast furnaces. The company declared that the shutdown of the installation would be temporary – until market conditions improve. During this time, employees are to have another job, undergo training or take leave.

Explaining the reasons for the temporary stoppage of blast furnace No. 3 in Dąbrowa Górnicza, the general director and president of AMP, Wojciech Koszuta, emphasized that the company operates in extremely difficult conditions, which include:: :

• very high energy prices,
• insufficient market protection mechanisms,
• only European producers bear the costs of the EU ETS.

In November 2025, AMP announced the permanent shutdown of production at Huta Królewska in Chorzów from December. The company has declared places for 270 steelworks employees in its other branches. He explained that the plant requires significant expenditure, which the company cannot incur in the situation of the steel sector in Europe, because it would be economically unjustified. (PAP)

mtb/ malk/ pr/