Skopje, 2 February 2026 (MIA) - The workers and employers should lead the dialogue on the minimum wage, and the Government will accept everything they agree on, said Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska in a TV interview on Monday evening.

In an interview with “360 Stepeni”, Dimitrieska-Kochoska said no wage is enough and it should always be higher, but, she stressed, there are economic rules that must be taken into account.

“They should agree on how much of a burden the employers can shoulder, because they are the ones that will have to pay the wages. Tell me, where in the world does the state cover the wages in the private sector? The Government can cover the wages of the public administration, but here we are talking about the private sector. We can’t mix things up... We raised wages in healthcare, education, Interior Ministry... we have taken care of our employees. This is a dialogue that should be led by the employers and workers. The Government says ‘we have set the law, if you believe that we need to go beyond the law, then reach an agreement among yourselves’,” the Minister said.

When asked why the Government did not follow the same logic in its decision to raise pensions by a flat Mden 5.000, even though there was a law that set out how adjustments should be made, Dimitrieska-Kochoska replied that there is a difference, since raising pensions was an election promise.

“This is a program that was voted for by the majority of citizens who went to the polls in the 2024 elections. That means the people supported such a proposal. Increasing pensions through a political decision and SSM’s (Federation of Trade Unions for Macedonia) demands for a higher minimum wage are two different things,” the Minister said

When asked whether the wages of officials would be increased this month, Dimitrieska-Kochoska said she had no such information and did not know whether it would happen. She did not reveal her personal opinion because, she said, it had often been abused in the past.

“Nothing has been discussed on this matter in the Government. I am not the minister responsible for officials’ wages, and I would ask you to direct this question to the competent ministry,” Dimitrieska-Kochoska stressed.

Photo: Screenshot