Józef Pinior (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjuzɛf ˈpiɲɔr]; born on 9 March 1955 in Rybnik) is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Lower Silesian Voivodship & Opole Voivodship with the Social Democracy of Poland, part of the Socialist Group and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Development.

He became famous for saving the trade union's 80 million zlotys from confiscation by the Security Service a few days before the imposing of the martial law in Poland.

During this time he took an active part in happenings of the Orange Alternative and he promoted this organization in independent and foreign media.

In 1990s he was a grant holder at the New School University in New York – his scientific program received the Democracy Fellowship from The Pew Charitable Trusts in the USA.

On the basis of his experience at the New School he worked out a row of lectures concerning contemporary political systems, foreign affairs and European integration.

Beginning in 1997, he was a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Social Communication at the Academy of Economy and in the School of Management and Finances in Wroclaw.