- Македонски
- English
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia and the Union for Financial Activities of the Republic of Macedonia (SFDM) provide support to the workers at the State Examination Center (DIC) who have been on strike for several weeks for an increase in their salaries.
For SSM, it is incomprehensible how for the salaries of the officials, which increased by 78%, money is provided from the accounts of the institutions for the payment of salaries to the workers, and it is worrying that, according to the Trade Union Organization, funds intended for salaries in DIC are blocked in order to pay salaries of the officials, which is a precedent and a scandal made by the Ministry of Finance and the Government.
The trade union organization at the DIC indicates that the negotiations for raising the salaries of the employees at the State Examination Center (DIC) have failed, and the strike continues.
The employees point out that it is already impossible to realize the state graduation exams according to the dates, and this will mean prolonging the time in which the results will be announced.
Emilia Boškovska, president of the Trade Union Organization at DIC, points out that the extension will not be long.
"We had two unsuccessful meetings. The last one was with the Minister of Education, in the presence of a person from the Ministry of Finance. We did not get anything new at that meeting. The proposal of the Ministry of Finance is an increase of about 1000 denars and these are their red lines. Some 300,000 denars from our budget are reserved for officials' salaries. For that reason, since the deadlines have passed, the calculations are that it is already impossible to reach the dates of the state matriculation calendar. May 27 is not feasible at all. We are requesting a change in the dates for the state matriculation exam. It also means prolonging the results. We ask the minister to see what are the options for state matriculation," says Boškovska.
She points out that there are employees who continued to perform their tasks instead of striking, but the majority still do not work until their salaries are increased.
"I hope that this extension will not be long." There are disagreements, but we are still united. Most of the employees are still on strike. We are ready to work around the clock, to realize the activities for the state graduation, but it is already minutes, not days. Until Friday, if the strike stopped, it was possible to realize it. If the state thinks that we are not important, why should we make sacrifices and work 20 hours a day," she adds.
The strike of the State Examination Center enters its third week. On April 24, they announced that they are starting a strike because 11 out of a total of 29 employees who are in different positions are equal and receive a minimum salary of 20,000 denars. The trade union organization of the State Examination Center announced that they will strike until they receive the consent of the Ministry of Finance to raise salaries.
