North Macedonia protests escalate over minimum wage demands

The Federation of Trade Unions of North Macedonia (SSM) held a protest starting in front of its headquarters and then proceeding to the building of the Parliament, the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, and the Government, to voice demands for immediate increase of the minimum wage to EUR 600 and a EUR 100 increase of all other wages.

Speaking in front of the union building, SSM leader Slobodan Trendafilov said "workers will no longer beg the Government and the bosses, but will fight for wage increase," CE Report quotes MIA.

"Today we are here for our children, for our daughters and sons, for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Today, we are here to fight for an increase so that wages are no longer miserable, because the Government and the bosses refuse to do so and refuse to help our families. Today, the workers are speaking out. The politicians had enough time to do it, but they did not. Starting today, we are speaking out for increasing the minimum wage to at least EUR 600 and increasing all other wages by at least Mden 6,000," said Trendafilov.

Speaking in front of the Parliament building, he sent a message to the 120 MPs who, according to him, have been refusing to pass amendments to the law on minimum wage for a year. He demanded that amendments to the law on minimum wage be proposed immediately, as early as tomorrow, to increase it to EUR 600, so as to help 200,000 workers living on a wage of less than Mden 30,000 (EUR 486) per month.

"If you fail to propose amendments to the law by the end of the week, and if you fail to pass it and help the workers, the workers' revolt will continue. It will be more intense, blockades will follow, a general strike will follow, and what will shake you the most will follow... We will collect 10,000 signatures, thus become a petition circulator and demand that your wages be reduced by 80 percent. And, we will demand that you increase the minimum wage to EUR 600 and increase all other wages by at least Mden 6,000," Trendafilov said.

SSM vice president Ivan Peshevski stated in front of the Economic Chamber that the workers will be there every day until they get the wage they demand. He announced blockades of streets and institutions, as well as a decision for a general strike, which, he noted, will be the first in the history of the country in the private sector.

"We are here today, we will be here tomorrow, and we will be here every day until we achieve our goal, which is our demand for a minimum wage of EUR 600 and an increase in all other wages by at least Mden 6,000. Our cost of living increased by Mden 6,000 in just one year thanks to flawed policies and unfair traders who leave us with nothing on our tables for the biggest holidays... We will block streets and institutions, and we will decide to stage a general strike for the first time in the history of Macedonia in the private sector," said Peshevski.

The leader of the Trade Union of Administration, Judiciary and Citizens' Associations (UPOZ), Trpe Deanoski, stated in front of the Government that the protest is not for political purposes, but because workers' paychecks can't even stretch to mid-month.

"It's not politics that brought us here today; we were brought here by hardship, injustice, poverty, paychecks that can't even stretch to mid-month. We were brought here by empty refrigerators and the prices in the supermarkets. We were brought here by the minimal consumer basket, which stands at Mden 65,000," said Deanoski.

SSM head Trendafilov also addressed the workers gathered in front of the Government, criticizing government officials.

Photo: MIA