Skopje, 11 May 2023 (MIA) — No agreement had been reached between the State Examination Center union and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi regarding their demands for raises, union leader Emilija Boshkovska told a news conference Thursday.

She said their strike was continuing but they would give no press conferences from now on, so any further questions about their salaries or the state high school graduation exam should be asked of the relevant authorities.

During their talks with government officials, Boshkovska said, State Examination Center staff had been offered a K-15 annual leave allowance — which their Collective Agreement already stipulated but they had never received — as well as rises of 2,000 denars for half of the employees.

"The deputy prime minister for economic affairs gave us a rote answer identical to the one given to us by the education minister and Ministry of Finance representatives," Boshkovska said.

"We were offered K-15, which we are entitled to by law but have been unlawfully prevented from receiving," she said.

"The second thing we were offered was a linear raise, which was also supposed to be given to us automatically and not as part of the negotiations."

She said the authorities were ignoring the State Examination Center employees' Collective Agreement. Also, she said, "rebalances were made for net increases of 70-80 percent [for some] yet they cannot find a solution for around 30 people who work very hard and have multiple responsibilities."

Boshkovska said the union was demanding that different positions receive different raises.

"Some should get 10,000 denars, given that they have been wronged for years, and some may get 4,000 denars," the union leader said, adding that the other side in the negotiations did not accept the proposed budget because they thought it was too high.

Asked if the state high school graduation exam will be held on May 27, Boshkovska said the strike was continuing and State Examination Center staff would put all their work on hold.

She told the press to ask any other questions of the relevant ministries, especially the Ministry of Finance, which, she said, had never once responded to their requests.

Commenting on Minister of Education Jeton Shaqiri pledging that the state high school graduation exam would take place on the scheduled date of May 27 even if it meant the Ministry of Education sending their own staff to administer it, Boshkovska said outsiders were not allowed entry to the State Examination Center due to the materials' confidentiality.

"Not even all of our employees are allowed entry to some rooms in the Center," she said. "Any outsiders entering the premises would compromise the exam results. But by all means let them send staff." mr/