Syndical May Protest ends in front of government – dignified salaries for dignified life

We are here for a minimum wage of 500 euros, multiplied by the complexity coefficient because 500 euros is not enough. Because two minimum wages do not provide basic living costs of a four -member family household. We will come much more if they do not increase wages. We are looking for a decent salary for decent work, said Slobodan Trendafilov, president of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (CCM) in front of the government where the May Day Protest March ended.

Trendafilov urged protesters to « and the government to turn back as well as the Parliament » because, he said, « turned their backs on workers, rushing to the bosses, demanding government unions, so as not to increase their salary ».

– It is easily said with 160,000 denars that 24 lives. Because they don’t care about us, workers, we workers today came here to turn their backs to feel what it looks like for a four -month back … Four months to fight unions and against all of us so that our salaries do not increase. For them to enjoy and we survive… they do not attack to deter employers from negotiating with us … Contrary to law they have determined a minimum wage, for the first time since 2011 unilaterally, to the detriment of us, workers. That is why today we demand that the government be on the side of the workers, the citizens, its voters, not on the side of the bosses, the oligarchs and the employers. To propose amendments to the Minimum Wage Law that will increase by at least 30,000 denars or 500 euros the minimum wage, as dignified as the governments in the region have done everywhere. Or – the government wants to have the poorest workers to offer foreign investors as cheap labor, as slaves – Trendafilov said. He announced that they may organize a strike, « even a day in the whole country » if there is no hearing about their demands.

Trpe Deanovski from UPOZ said that « without workers there is no economy, no development and no future ».

– For years we have heard promises will have higher salaries, safe jobs and social justice. And what we got – unpaid salaries, shortened salaries in the prosecution and in the judiciary, 200 people in the judiciary without a contract of employment, increased prices, displaced young, attempted killing workers. So far in Macedonia has not been. This government promised to be on the side of the worker, and today not only is it silent but not attacking when we demand higher salaries. But not their attacks, their lies and press conferences full of manipulations. None of what they do will stop us, and we will continue because we are looking for dignified salaries for a dignified life. We will not remain silent and we will not stop – said Dejanovski.

Kristina Ampeva of « Glass Textile » noted that although several unions participating in the protest have different views, today they have been merged for the same purpose and there are no divisions between them – « and that is the struggle for a higher salary. »

– Today we are not protesting against the government but we want to point out officials from all political parties receiving 79 % of raised salaries, travel expenses and various accessories, to tell them and tell them that the salary of workers with 1,800 raises may not be enough. People with about 2,000 euros can not tell people with 400 euros that is enough. Due to the miserable salary, young and entire families are moved. In our country there is an exodus of young people and the working population. Let them see at least the countries in the region where wages are elevated. We remained a country with the highest inflation that ate the salaries, with the lowest rate of growth in economics, the lowest salary country – said Ampeva.

Tomislav Gievski of Nson asked to respect collective agreements and to deliver the promises that workers have been given in recent years.

– We are looking to stand on the word and what they promised one, two, three years ago to fulfill it. Because an unfulfilled promise is a lie, and the lie must be punished. A lie on workers is the biggest sin that one can be drunk by a political elite. Therefore, we are looking for travel expenses, just like yours, we look for food, the same as yours. We look for the same benefits you have because we deserve them. What are you more important in society than us, workers? Here is a message – there will be no peace until workers’ demands are met and you will see us more often and more frequently – Gievski told the Government.

Union representatives also sent messages to union organizations that did not join the May Day protest today. Trendafilov called them « sitting at home », Ampeva said they were ashamed « of some unions that celebrated May 1 at a luxury hotel yesterday, » and Dejanovski that some unions are just called « they represent themselves as the voice of the worker, and are the voice ».

– They do not move their fingers except the government if they tell them to move. And let them not be fed up with our plumage, when they neither negotiated nor protested, and want to take our whole merit. So let them take us, just to sign what they are following – better salaries and a better life. And we need to be aware that only with struggle and unity will get what we need, and that has changed our struggle is fair, and our strength is workers, without them we are no one – said the president of UPOZ.

The May Day Protest, which participates in CCM and the participating unions, demands the minimum wage of 500 euros, all other salaries to be increased by 100 euros and to respect collective wage agreements, began from the Workers’ House, continued in front of the Parliament and the Chamber of Commerce and ended in front of the Government.

The Confederation of Free Trade Unions (KSS) has announced that it will not participate in today’s protest because President Blagoja Ralpovski believes that there is a good social dialogue in the country and that the problems « always solve the table ».

International Labor Day is a public holiday in over 80 countries worldwide. It is marked on May 1 in honor of the victims of the strike in 1886 in Chicago seeking eight hours of working hours. In 1889, at the founding Congress of the Second International, a declaration was made by workers around the world of demonstrations in order to improve their position. Since then, in most countries around the world, protest marches are being held.