Skopje, 2 January 2026 (MIA) — After a brief disruption in passenger rail service that began Thursday at 4:47 pm due to National Railways Transport staff going on strike over their November pay, trains are back in service.

According to National Railways Transport representative and Train Drivers Labor Union leader Toni Dimovski, employees have now been paid their November salaries in full and are working with the government on overcoming other hurdles. 

Dimovski said representatives from the state-owned railway company had met with State Secretary Stefan Volkanovski at the Ministry of Transport earlier Friday.

"At the meeting, we openly discussed the problem and we would like to inform the public that it has been overcome. Our November 2025 salary has now been paid in full and we are actively working on meeting our union's remaining demands," Dimovski said.

According to the union leader, National Railways Transport representatives would remain in close coordination with state institutions to rise to any other challenges facing the company.

The first trains that are back in service after the brief strike are the 4:55 pm train from Skopje to Gevgelija and the 4:57 pm train from Skopje to Kumanovo.

During the brief strike, cargo rail service continued largely uninterrupted.

Previously, on Dec. 18, the railway company's staff had received only partial paychecks for November. 

The union is also demanding inflation-adjusted pay, a bonus salary for those required to work more than 150 hours overtime as well as 10% higher overtime pay. mr/