Skopje, 13 March 2025 (MIA) - Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski stated Thursday that the government will support an agreement on the minimum wage between employers and workers, noting that a new session of the Economic and Social Council could take place in the second half of March.

“Whatever agreement they reach, we as government will support it. The proposal from one of the workers’ representatives, specifically the president of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia, differs from the one put forward a few months ago when this government was elected. They didn’t wait even a week after the election before proposing a minimum wage of €400. Now that they see we will legally reach €400, they are demanding €500. I say, even €500 is not enough, maybe it should be €1,000 or even €2,000. I have no doubts about that. I absolutely consider myself a worker, like all other workers, and I want all of us to have higher wages,” Mickoski said.

He pointed out that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank had insisted on raising the retirement age, but the government decided to protect the rights of workers and citizens.

“The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank called for an increase in the VAT threshold. However, we deiced to protect the citizens’ standard of living. We launched an uncompromising fight against those who enrich themselves at the expense of the people, traders, distributors and retail chains, where we imposed limits on both distribution and retail margins,” Mickoski said.

He noted that they had provided €250 million for businesses, offering the lowest-interest loan in Europe at 1.95%, to protect jobs and create new ones.

"I am pleased to see that, from the €250 million, the projects generated by our economy have already surpassed half a billion euros. Instead of 5,000 new jobs, we have now reached 10,000. In January, exports grew by 5%, and in 2024, our country has the highest number of foreign investments per capita in the Balkans and ranks among the top three in Europe,” Mickoski added.

He pointed out that in January, revenues increased by 8.5%, while expenditures in the budget decreased by 3.5%. Additionally, there was an 11.7% growth in lending.

“There is a double-digit growth, of which 13% is for industry, and Hungarian funds haven’t even started being used yet. As a government, we will do everything to ensure the right conditions for doing business, which includes honest work, fighting crime and combating corruption, all in the interest of the citizens, in accordance with the law and the Constitution. To sum up, whatever workers and employers agree upon, we will respect. In the meantime, we have a clear law and will act in accordance with it,” said Mickoski, who was attending an event at the Police Training Centre.

When asked whether the minimum wage will reach €400 in April, Mickoski confirmed that, according to the law, unless there is a different agreement between workers and employers, it will be about 24,400 denars.

Photo: MIA