- Македонски
- English
As you know, on 03.03.2025, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Macedonia submitted a Proposal for a Minimum Wage to the President of the Assembly and the Coordinators of the Parliamentary Groups, after which two parliamentary groups, i.e. two political parties, have already submitted Proposals for an increase in the minimum wage, which for incomprehensible reasons for the workers were rejected by the parliamentary majority.
At the request of the workers, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Macedonia, at the session of the Economic and Social Council held on 30.07.2025, once again raised this important issue for the workers and their standard of living.
We believe that since the submission of the Minimum Wage Proposal from 03.03.2025 to today, there are many reasons for an additional (extraordinary) increase in the minimum wage, as follows:
• The first reason is that the value of the union minimum basket from January 2024, when it was 57,163 denars, to January 2025, when it was 63,252 denars, has increased by 6,089 denars, and after the completion of the Government's measures, it has increased by an additional 2,202 denars, or one family lacks about 150 euros to provide the most basic living conditions.
• The second reason is that 55.7% of citizens, i.e. workers in Macedonia, according to Eurostat data, cannot afford a 7-day annual vacation, not even in a bungalow in Dojran.
• The third reason is that the minimum wage in Macedonia is the lowest in the region, so the minimum wage in Serbia from October will be 500 euros or more than 100 euros more than the minimum wage in Macedonia, the minimum wage in Bosnia and Herzegovina is already 511 euros or 111 euros more than the minimum wage in Macedonia, and in Montenegro the minimum wage is 600 to 800 euros or 200 more than the minimum wage in Macedonia, i.e. 400 euros more than the minimum wage in Macedonia.
• The fourth reason is that the MPs showed that, overnight, without debate or consultation, they changed the Law on Labor Relations to please a union so that it becomes representative, as if representativeness is the most important thing, not workers' wages, so they can propose amendments to the Law on Minimum Wage using the same formula that will increase it to 500 euros, and the other wages will also increase by an additional 100 euros.
• The fifth reason is that the minimum wage in Macedonia is the lowest and has the lowest value not only among the countries in the region, but also among the countries in the European Union, which means that it is at the bottom of the list of EU countries that have a nationally determined minimum wage, and it is also at the bottom of the Balkan countries.
The gross minimum wage in euros (€) in EU countries is as follows: 1. Luxembourg – 2,638, 2. Ireland – 2,282, 3. Netherlands – 2,193, 4. Germany – 2,161, 5. Belgium – 2,070, 6. France – 1,801, 7. Spain – 1,381, 8. Slovenia – 1,278, 9. Poland – 1,091, 10. Lithuania – 1,038, 11. Portugal – 1,015, 12. Cyprus – 1,000, 13. Croatia – 970, 14. Greece – 968, 15. Malta – 961, 16. Estonia – 886, 17. Czech Republic (Czechia) – 826, 18.Romania – 814, 19.Slovakia – 816, 20.Latvia – 740, 21.Hungary – 707, 22.Bulgaria – 551, and in Macedonia - 586 (gross minimum wage in euros €)
In addition, according to the purchasing power (PPS - PKS) (Purchasing Power Parity), the highest value is 2098 PPS - PKS Luxembourg (in some reports Germany), and Macedonia does not fall into the EU statistics for PPS - PKS of the minimum wage, but from the data of informal rankings (EU and the region), it is estimated that it remains among the countries with the lowest purchasing power, i.e. the lowest PKS (Purchasing Power Parity).
We emphasize that Macedonia is again at the bottom, which indicates that the minimum wage, even after the legal adjustment in March 2025, still does not provide a decent standard of living.
In support of the above, based on publicly available information, the top 5 countries ranked by (PPS) value are:
1. Luxembourg – 2,098, 2. Germany – 1.99, 3. Ireland – 1,874, 4. Netherlands – 1,820, 5. Belgium – 1,770, these countries have high nominal wages and high purchasing power, meaning that workers there can afford much more than workers in Macedonia.
Additionally, in the middle of the EU countries ranked by (PPS - PKS) value are:
10. Portugal - 1,010, 11. Cyprus - 950, 12. Croatia - 910, 13. Greece - 905, 14. Malta - 899, countries that have an average balance between nominal wage and purchasing power, and the last 5 countries by (PPS - PKS) value are: 19. Hungary - 820, 20. Romania - 795, 21. Bulgaria - 760, 22. Macedonia - 740 (estimated)
Macedonia is in last place according to the real value of the minimum wage in Europe, i.e. at the bottom despite the attempt to manipulate that it is ahead of Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, etc. This means that although the gross minimum wage has increased with the last adjustment in March 2025, the purchasing power of Macedonian workers is still the lowest, especially due to the rising cost of living, which indicates an urgent need for an extraordinary increase in the minimum wage in Macedonia by at least an additional 6,000 denars in net amount.
We point out that the workers' request through the CSM, for an increase in the minimum wage in Macedonia, is justified according to all facts and comparisons because the minimum wage in Macedonia is the lowest compared to the minimum wage in the region and in the EU.
The CSM's request for an increase in the minimum wage is justified, necessary and sustained, based on comparisons with other countries, as well as the economic and social conditions in Macedonia, so we demand that the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia and the MPs immediately proceed to a legal procedure and that they rise to the level of the task for which they were elected and accept the workers' proposal, which will enable, starting with the salary for the month of August 2025, workers in the country to receive an increased minimum wage as well as increased salaries due to the increase in the minimum wage.
The expectations of the workers from the MPs are to work in the interest of those who elect them, and from the Confederation of Trade Unions of Macedonia, as their representative, to represent them in negotiations with active stakeholders who can contribute to improving the living standards of the workers, as well as to continue preparations for expressing various forms of worker dissatisfaction and union pressure, for which the responsibility will lie with those who do not understand the workers' plight.
Due to the announcement of the local elections, taking into account the legal restrictions arising from Article 8-a of the Electoral Code, as elected representatives, i.e. representatives elected by the workers, we believe that you have time to show that you are for the workers and that you work in their interest.
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia, through this letter, also requests an urgent meeting with the parliamentary groups at which the real and inevitable need for an additional, i.e. extraordinary increase in the minimum wage, which will increase it to 500 euros, will not happen in Macedonia that we have the lowest paid workers and the highest paid officials compared to the countries in the region and the EU countries.
