- Македонски
- English
While the prices of the food and the basic living product continue to rise, as example the prices of the fruit are up 21%, the prices of meat and oil up to almost 10%, and the prices of coffee - up 26%, the minimum wage in our country remains at 397 euros and will not change until March 2026, and even then a more serious change is not expected to happen, except for this symbolic adjustment of the minimum wage. At the same time, the trade union basket shows that one family needs over 65,000 denars for a decent life, and if the family lives in a rented apartment, their costs even exceed 80,000 denars.
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) warns that this policy is unsustainable and demands an immediate increase in the minimum wage or the minimum wage to be at least 600 euros or even 700 euros, and as well asks for fair adjustment of the rest salaries in the public sector. “397 euros is not life, but a struggle for survival,” says SSM’s representatives, announcing protests and a general strike if the government does not react to their demands.
In conditions where the prices are rising and there is an inflation of 4.5%, the current amount of the wages in our country do not provide a decent life and pushes workers’ into poverty. While the Macedonian workers’ struggle to survive, our neighboring countries are announcing significant increases in their minimum wage.
Kosovo will have a minimum wage of 500 euros from July 2026, Albania will also have 500 euros from January 2026, Serbia will reach 550 euros from January 2026, Republika Srpska will have different amounts of minimum wages starting from 512 euros to 743 euros depending on the workers’ qualification, Bosnia and Herzegovina already has 511 euros, and Montenegro 600 euros for workers with secondary education and 800 euros for those with higher education. Macedonia is the only country in the region that does not plan a real increase in the minimum wage.
The survey conducted by the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) with answers from 1,613 respondents shows that 45.2% demand a minimum wage of 600 euros, 42% demand a minimum wage of over 700 euros, and 99.5% believe that the wages in general must increase immediately. Over half of the respondents are ready to participate in protests and strikes if the minimum wage is not increased. The general conclusion of the Survey is clear: The demand for an increase in the minimum wage is not a desire of individuals, but a real need of all workers’ in our country.
It is clear that the government and some employers’ are against increasing the minimum wage, while the salaries of the government officials remain increased by 79%.
The President of SSM, Slobodan Trendafilov, has reacted sharply to the statements of some bosses who complain about the shortage of labour and their alleged inability to increase the workers’ wages, warning that if this policy continues, the workers’ will respond with a 24-hour general strike throughout the country. According to him, the bosses are consciously manipulating the public by claiming that the workers’ are not productive, although official data shows the opposite.
The National Bank announced that in 2024, net profits per employee in Macedonian companies increased significantly or: In construction 10,000 euros per employee, in trade and transport 300,000 denars, in industry 200,000 denars, and in the IT sector 400,000 denars. These numbers, according to Trendafilov, show that in our country each worker not only earns his salary, but also provides extra money for the luxurious life of the bosses.
In addition, he says that the data coming from the Central Registry refutes the thesis that companies are closing due to the increase of the minimum wage. On the contrary, with each increase of the minimum wage, more new companies are opened, and fewer are closed.
Throughout 2025, the Economic and Social Council (ESC), which should be the main key forum for maintaining the dialogue between the Government, trade unions and employers’ organizations, held only two sessions. This is an alarmingly small number, considering that it is through ESC that policies that directly affect workers' rights, wages and social security are discussed, agreed or in some cases refused from the stakeholders.
Between the second session and the third session of ESC, the Government justified the stagnation in every activity with an alleged “lack of representativeness among the unions”. However, it is precisely the Government that did not appoint the members of the commission for determining representativeness, thus blocking the process and creating an alibi for not having activity at all. This move raises serious doubts about the Government’s sincerity regarding social dialogue and respect for workers’ rights.
Additionally, in the period between the second and the third sessions of ESC, as well as after the January protests of UPOZ – trade union, when a large number of workers’ came out in front of the institutions to protest, the Government clearly became afraid and instead of intensifying the dialogue, through the top people of the institutions, ministers, directors and managers, it exerted pressure on the workers’ in the state institutions to leave SSM and join the other trade union - KSS. But in the end, this strategy failed. The Government, aware that it could not provide real support and real membership to KSS, had to legally reduce the percentage for representativeness in order to make the other trade union - KSS formally representative, because they are the ones who act under their orders and not for the benefit of the workers’.
