Skopje, 3 February 2025 (MIA) – Minimum wage over 450 euros is possible if the government helps through social transfers, employers say. Ahead of Monday’s Economic and Social Council (ESC) session, they said any raise from 1,000 to 9,000 denars should be backed by the government through social transfers for a year.

Although minimum wage is not included in the ESC session’s agenda, officials of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) and the Confederation of Free Trade Unions (KSS) called for the issue to be still discussed.

According to SSM, if employees are willing to raise the salaries of all private sector employees, a solution should be found including the government subsidizing some of the contributions. KSS will propose a formula for the government to subsidy a portion of the salaries of low-income workers.

“We propose state assistance over contributions for raises of 1,000-9,000 denars. Any raise of the employers of 1,000 to 9,000 denars to be subsidized by the government for a year through social transfers. With the economy growing, we hope there will be a chance for them to be fully paid. From the current 24,800 denars, expected in March, up to 34,000 denars – there should be social transfer subsidies, which is around 9,000 denars. The unions propose 27,000-denar, 450-euro-minimum wage, but there is a chance, provided that we have government support, the wages to increase, surpassing minimum wages in the region. These are some of our solutions, the unions have similar ones, but the most important thing is the number of companies and workers to remain the same,” Mile Boshkov of the Business Confederation of Macedonia told reporters before the start of the ESC session. 

According to him, drastic increase in minimum wage is a large burden for micro, small and medium-sized companies.

Speaking to reporters, Slobodan Trendafilov, SSM president, said his union will demand pay raises in the private and public sector at the session.

“Unfortunately, today’s agenda doesn’t include an item on pay raises, instead, there is an item on the trade union minimum basket because probably they’ll be convincing us that salaries shouldn’t increase.”

“We should find a way, if the employers are willing to raise the salaries of all private sector workers, allowing the government to subsidy part of the contributions. It is a way to eliminate informal economy, which costs the budget almost 250 million euros,” said Trendafilov. 

He called on all sides to finally realize that salaries must increase in order four-member household to meet their needs. 

According to Blagoja Ralpovski, KSS head, low-income workers should be at least subsidized. 

“Prices skyrocket, together we need to find a model to stop that in order salaries to raise and inflation to stabilize. We are all here together to see how we can help at least the low-income workers, some 20,000, who are paid minimum wage. We’ll propose a formula allowing the government to subsidize,” he stated.