Skopje, 13 March 2023 (MIA) – As of April, every worker will receive the March wage in the amount to Mden 20,175. We are slowly beginning to correct a long-standing injustice that was done to the workers, so that the worker receives a dignified wage for the work performed, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and SDSM Vice President Fatmir Bytyqi told Sitel TV on Monday evening.

“The Economic and Social Council held a session today and defined the minimum wage. Last year, the social partners, the government, the trade union, the employers, agreed on the criteria. As of April, every worker will receive the March wage in the amount to Mden 20,175,” Bytyqi said.

“The employers' organization, which is the representative of employers in the Economic and Social Council, said that they are satisfied with what is happening. At the end of the day, even they are ready to pay even higher salaries by increasing the productivity of the worker,” Bytyqi added.

In relation to the request of the Clinical Centre Trade Union for signing the contract for higher wages by Friday or the protests will be activated, Bytyqi said that it is unlikely to happen.

“We insist on a general collective agreement, which will cover everyone in the public sector, and further define the branch collective agreements. We have shown that it is better to discuss, to have a dialogue, because the solutions we find are more sustainable. What we did with the minimum wage is proof enough that if we negotiate we will find a sustainable solution,” Bytyqi said.