- Македонски
- English
The situation when it comes to the minimum wage in the region is as follows:
*In Macedonia - the minimum wage is 397 euros and according to the announcements of the Government, it will not change until March 2026 when they plan only the law adjustment to the minimum wage which means that the rise of the minimum wage will not exceed 1,600 denars.
*In Kosovo - the minimum wage is increasing from 350 euros to 500 euros in two phases plan. In the first phase or starting from January 2026, the minimum wage will be 425 euros, and from July 2026, it will be 500 euros, or we can calculate a total increase of 150 euros.
*In Albania - starting from January 1, 2026, the minimum wage will be 500 euros. The minimum wage will increase for a total of 307,850 employees, who will receive the planned amount of 500 euros. The Government will also subsidize additional insurance costs for employees in the private sector with 90 million euros for a period of 9 months (what SSM already requested)
*In Serbia, the Government with its own Decision has increased the minimum wage and starting from October 2025 the amount of the minimum wage is 500 euros, and from January 2026 the minimum wage will be 550 euros.
*In Republika Srpska (BiH), the Economic and Social Council agreed that from January 2026 the minimum wage will be: for unskilled workers’ 512 euros, for skilled workers 538 euros, for workers’ with secondary education 564 euros, for workers with higher secondary education 692 euros, and for workers with higher education 743 euros.
* In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the minimum wage for 2025 is 1000 km or 511 euros.
*In Montenegro, the minimum wage is 600 euros for workers with up to secondary education, and 800 euros for workers with higher education.
It is unfortunate that in Macedonia the Government now has allies in both employers’ and some other trade unions as well (we mean the Confederation of Free Trade Unions - KSS, which were forcibly made representative only with the sole purpose to support the Government and act against the workers’ so that there will be no wage increases and we as the biggest trade union in our country have already warned about this situation), who have no present activities or plans for future ones, their sole purpose is to repeat that only the law should be respected and that the workers’ don’t need an urgent additional increase in the minimum wage.
The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) so far has organized a series of protests for an increase in the minimum wage and will continue to do so, but it is not hard to guess that the employers, with their ignorant attitude, will cause a general strike on national level.
Today we have the Government, the employers’ and KSS who are on the same side, who act against the workers’, and are satisfied that Macedonian workers’ are sinking into poverty, with the lowest salaries in the region and the lowest minimum wage, but they think they can be comforted if repeating that everything is according to the law!
That is why the salaries of all officials in our country have not decreased, the officials have kept their 78%, and now 79% increased salaries on one site, and on other side a debate on the Budget for 2026 is underway where the same elected representatives with a salary of over 2000 euros will do all to convince that workers’ with a 397 euro minimum wage live well, they will boast that there will be no increase in workers' salaries, they will repeat that there is no more money foreseen for the increase in the minimum wage than what is provided for by law, and they are the ones who can change laws!
That's why we fight.
We fight because the workers’ deserves a decent wage, not a statistical number.
We fight because the region is moving forward, and only Macedonia is pushing workers’ back.
We fight because without the workers’ - there is no economy.
We fight because 397 euros is not life, but a struggle for survival.
And we will continue.
Until the minimum wage is increased.
Until dignity for every worker.
