Government: We will accept any agreement between trade unions and employers when they are reached within the economic and social dialogue

The government will accept any agreement between trade unions and employers for the minimum wage when they are reached within the framework of economic social dialogue-the government’s press service said after today’s meeting with union representatives.

In addition to the minimum wage, the Collective Agreement and the representativeness of the unions were also discussed at the meeting with the unions, and in addition to Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, the Minister of Economy and Labor Besar Durmishi, his deputy Marjan Risteski, as well as the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Finance.

– The government’s position on the increase in the minimum wage is clear and related to the law. Namely, according to the law, the Government is obliged to determine the level of the minimum wage by 31 March at the latest. The government will accept any agreement between trade unions and employers, at the time it is reached within the framework of economic social dialogue. The government remains a partner of workers and employers and is prepared for dialogue at any time when it is requested by the parties in the process – the government said in a statement.

Unions’ representatives in a statement after the meeting made opposing views and demands on the minimum wage they accused of unilaterally wearing the end of March for increasing the minimum wage of 1800 denars in accordance with the legally established provisions.

The President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (CCM) Slobodan Trendafilov said the government was not against raising the minimum wage, but the other two unions attending the meeting, stressing that they demanded that the provisions of the general collective agreement be abolished in the process of public wage growth or public. In contrast, the President of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions (KSS) Blagoja Ralpovski assessed that what CCM is looking for is populism, noting that by raising the minimum wage to 30,000 denars will cover only part of the state employees.

The meeting also announced that the collective agreements for salary supplements in the state administration bodies except the judiciary would be signed by mid -May.

« The government is ready by the middle of next month to sign collective agreements that will enable stages payment of a 30 percent salary supplement for state administration employees, except the judiciary, » said the president of the Trade Union of the Office of the Office, the judicial authorities and civic associations.