Skopje, 28 July 2023 (MIA) – The employees of the Media Information Agency (MIA) staged a second warning protest in front of the Agency’s offices on Friday.

At the second day of the warning protest, supported by the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM), the employees reiterated their demands addressed to the Government.

The most urgent demand of the employees is a 30 percent increase of their wages.

“This is 2.5 times less than the 78 percent pay raise of the wages of officials. While the other demands require systemic solutions, the wage increase is the easiest one to solve, and only needs to be placed on the agenda of a government session,” said the employees.

SSNM stated that press freedom, freedom of speech, and even the fight against disinformation are impossible if journalists and media workers are receiving wages below the national average. According to the latest data, the average net wage in May 2023 stood at Mden 36.465, while the wages of journalists and media workers at MIA are lower than the average wage by more than Mden 6.000.

The protests will continue in the coming days, until the employees’ demands are fulfilled.

“If our demands are not fulfilled, there is a chance of radicalization of the protests,” said the employees.

Photo: MIA