SSM: BESIMI TO READ WHAT IS PROVIDED BY THE LAW AND THE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

We remind Minister Besimi that the Government at the session of the ESC at which the increase of the minimum wage was determined, in front of the general public said that after the increase of the minimum wage follows a period of harmonization of wages within 6 months.

We are concerned about the statements of the Minister of Finance Besimi who act like he did not sit at the sessions of the ESC and that the Ministry of Finance is not part of the Government.

The statement is given yesterday, and transmitted through the media as a reaction of SSM, "The address is not the Ministry of Finance.

It is important to know that in the part of negotiations, in the specific case, in the phase when the supplementary budget was being worked on, there were no completed negotiations or a solution, we can not predict things that are not defined. That something has been promised, I can not confirm that, in terms of the supplementary budget.

"But it is being talked about, that is true," said Fatmir Besimi - Minister of Finance. "This statement It’s not supported for the following reasons:

1. Today, what Minister Besimi publicly says is completely refuted through the statement from our fraternal Union of UPOZ at SSM, in which they express their concern because the Minister of Finance, although he should, as he said, should foresee things that are defined, it does not respect the Branch Collective Agreement for the state administration bodies, the professional services of the Government of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, the courts, the public prosecutor's offices, the penitentiary-correctional and educational-correctional institutions, the state ombudsman, the local self-government units, agencies, funds, and centers for social affairs and other bodies established by the Assembly of the Republic of Northern Macedonia. The reaction by the Trade Union of UPOZ says "It is also worrying the fact that the Draft - Supplementary Budget for 2022, does not provide for the payment of recourse for annual leave for 2022, right provided in accordance with Article 21 of the Branch Collective Agreement for state administration bodies, professional services of the Government of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, courts, public prosecutor's offices, penitentiary, and correctional institutions, state attorney's office, local self-government units, agencies, funds, and centers for social work and other bodies established by the Assembly of the Republic of Northern Macedonia. "  did not provide funds!
2. 2. Pursuant to the Law on Minimum Wage, Article 8 he knew that all wages must be harmonized in accordance with the increase of the minimum wage within 6 months, but anyway it did not provide funds for increasing wages in the supplementary budget.

Due to the above, the Ministry of Finance is the address and the  Minister Besimi is responsible to ensure compliance with the laws and collective agreements and providing funds for that, especially with the supplementary budget, otherwise, it results that him knowingly damaging the State Treasury for additional costs for conducting proceedings against the State from the workers who, if they do not receive the deserved salaries and allowances in accordance with the Law and the Collective Agreement, the workers will pay their labor with additional costs are paid from the State Treasury.

SSM sent a letter to his address for meetings, the last one was on Monday, May 23, 2022, after which, instead of calling us for a dialogue, he addressed us through the media with unsubstantiated statements, excuses and in that way, he hides from the workers and their representatives and escapes from the responsibility for the unforeseen money for salary and allowances for the workers that were his obligation from the Law and the Collective Agreement in the supplementary budget which is over 900 million euros.