Skopje, 27 January 2026 (MIA) - The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) called on all citizens disatisfied with their wages to join Wednesday’s protest for an increase of the minimum wage to EUR 600 and a EUR 100 increase of all other wages.

The head of SSM, Slobodan Trendafilov, stressed that over 200.000 people in the country are living on a wage of less than Mden 30.000 (EUR 486) per month.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of anyone, because you don’t owe anything to anyone. The only thing you owe is a decent life to your families. I’m calling on all of you, union members, workers, and pensioners who receive pensions from workers’ contributions, to join us, because just in January you’ve become poorer by a thousand denars. The other side is counting us, and they think that if you don’t show up, you’re giving them strong support not to raise your wages, since they believe you’re living well and only talking about nice things,” Trendafilov said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The union leader said the protest would be held because of the dismissive attitude of the Government and the employers.

“January 28 is the day when workers speak out. How loud that voice will be depends on you. Tomorrow, your presence in the streets will speak louder than any discussion you’ve had at home or at work. This protest is about your wages because they are not enough to get you through the month. This protest is against injustice because they receive wages ten times higher than yours,” Trendafilov said.

The union said the day after the protest it would publish information and proof about institutions pressuring workers not to join the protest.

The protest will begin at 5 P.M. in front of SSM’s headquarters in Skopje on Wednesday. It will then proceed to the building of the Parliament and the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, before ending in front of the Government.

If its demands aren’t heard, the union said it would proceed to block targeted institutions, organize a general strike, and collect 10.000 signatures for legal amendments that would reduce officials’ wages by 80 percent and increase all other wages by raising the minimum wage to EUR 600.

Photo: MIA