German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Warsaw yesterday to discuss bilateral issues with Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz and commemorate the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising.
After a brief initial meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday, Maas sat down with his Polish counterpart to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Topics of discussion included historical issues such as war reparations and a monument in Berlin to Polish victims of WWII, along with future areas of cooperation, such as the future of the EU, the Polish-German roundtable set for November, and Poland’s role in the Berlin Process supporting integration of the Western Balkans in the EU.
Maas will conclude his visit today with a wreath-laying ceremony in Warsaw commemorating those Poles who died fighting against occupying German forces in the 1944 Powstanie Warszawskie or Warsaw Uprising. Led by General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, the ultimately unsuccessful insurrection lasted 63 days and resulted in the deaths of some 200,000 fighters and civilians, as well as the complete destruction of the city of Warsaw.
„The unspeakable suffering that the Poles experienced here in Warsaw and in the whole country moves many Germans and me personally” said Maas, going on to stress that Germans „must never forget the suffering we caused to other countries and above all to Poland.”
To commemorate “W Hour”, the exact hour the Uprising began, sirens will go off across Poland today at 5pm. In Gdańsk, the museum ship Sołdek as well as the ferry Motława will both sound their sirens.
Source: PAP
Rising tensions in Hong Kong as protestors charged with rioting
More than 40 protestors appeared before a Hong Kong judge yesterday to face riot-related charges connected with protests over the past weekend.
The protests, which have been continuing since since last April, arose in opposition to a proposed bill allowing extraditions from Hong Kong to mainland China, an act seen by many as an attempt by Beijing to curb freedoms in Hong Kong.
Violence erupted last Sunday as anti-government and pro-democracy activists advanced towards the Central Government Liaison Office, the symbol of mainland China’s authority in Hong Kong. Hundreds of riot police fired rubber bullets, sponge grenades, and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Activists responded by throwing bricks, paintballs, and home-made gas canisters at police.
This past Tuesday, hundreds of protestors caused commuter chaos by blocking train services. According to protest organizers, more actions, including similar acts of civil disobedience, are planned for the upcoming weeks and may continue throughout the summer.
Source: BBC, Reuters
Polish government announces 1 Billion zl increase for teachers
In response to teacher strikes which shut down schools last April, the Polish government announced an additional billion zloty for teacher salary increases beginning September 1.
At a press conference last Monday, Deputy Finance Minister Leszek Skiba and Minister of National Education Dariusz Piontkowski announced that, including the previous 5% increase from last January, „the salaries of teachers will go up by 15 percent in total” this year. As Finance Minister Skiba pointed out, „this is the largest increase in a single fiscal year.”
According to data from the Education Ministry, the monthly base salary for a certified teacher will increase to PLN 3,817, with contracted teaches earning PLN 2,862, and interns earning PLN 2,782. By contrast, the average corporate salary in Poland is PLN 4,949, according to official data from February 2019.
Total remuneration for teachers consists of basic pay plus allowances, which are dependant on a variety of factors including teacher tenure, additional responsibilities such as mentoring or working as a head tutor, overtime and night work, and contributions by local governments, among others. Teacher trade unions claim that most teachers receive very few extras and the actual salary of teachers is more accurately reflected by the base salary rather than the total remuneration.
The strikes in April were lead by the Polish Teachers’ Union (ZNP), which demanded a 1000 zloty raise along with other educational provisions. Speaking during the strike, ZNP leader Sławomir Broniarz emphasized that previous strike efforts were not only to raise teacher pay but were also „to defend the quality of education” in Poland.
Source: PAP, euronews/Reuters
https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/08/polish-teachers-strike-over-pay-after-talks-with-government-fail
Free musical events around Trójmiasto tonight
If you’ve had your fill of Shakespeare or the Jarmark has already emptied your pockets, there are several free musical events taking place around Trójmiasto this evening.
First off, the jazz and blues inspired Jarosław Śmietana Trio will be playing in the Sala Kameralna at the Polska Filharmonia Bałtycka at 7pm as part of the “Music in the Monuments of Old Gdańsk” concert series. The series, which runs August 1-17th, features a different performer every night at 7pm in different locations around Gdańsk. Entry is free, and a full program can be found online at Radio Gdansk.pl https://filharmonia.gda.pl/pl/cykle-koncertowe/cat.listevents/2019/06/19/-?option=com_jevents&task=cat.listevents&offset=1&category_fv=52&Itemid=157
As part of the Jarmark Dominikański, Stacja Soul&Jazz – The Goodfellas, a trumpet and guitar duo, will be playing a mixture of soul, funk and gypsy jazz from 8-9:30 pm at Park Świętopełka in the Gdańsk center.
https://imprezy.trojmiasto.pl/Stacja-SoulJazz-The-Goodfellas-imp483800.html
In Sopot, the „Swinging Tri-City Series” continues with the modern jazz-inspired Piotr Szlempo Quintet taking the stage at 7pm in the garden of the Sopot Museum.
http://muzeumsopotu.pl/pl/wiadomosci/koncerty-z-cyklu-swingujace-trojmiasto/
And last, but not least, Gdynia’s Gard Taste Scandinavian restaurant will be featuring bassist and vocalist John Leysner as part of their Thursday night concert series. Leysner’s musical journey through the genres of soul, funk, jazz and pop embarks at 7pm.
EP/RGEN NEWS
