Skopje, 26 August 2025 (MIA) — It is concerning that an agreement with the government on increasing the minimum wage has not been reached yet and that there cannot be a deal until the local elections are over, Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia leader Slobodan Trendafilov said Thuirsday evening in an interview with Kanal 5.

Trendafilov blamed policymakers, business owners and Parliament for stalling the legislation. If lawmakers really cared about the workers, he said, they could immediately pass amendments to the Minimum Wage Law and have the changes come into force after the local elections.

"But when you have absolutely no understanding from the other side — when some people say, 'You should come to an agreement with the employers first,' and the employers say, 'How can we come to an agreement with you?' — it is a cycle that is harming 167,000 employees," the union leader said.

"That is a huge number. One third of the total number of workers," Trendafilov said.

He cited official figures showing that 167,000 employees in the country received below 30,000 denars (EUR 487) per month.

According to the unionists' estimate of an average household's minimum monthly expenses, Trendafilov said, two people earning minimum wage cannot cover the basic living costs of an average family. Only for basic food, he said, an average family needs one minimum monthly salary.

Trendafilov also pointed out the minimum monthly wage was EUR 511 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUR 600-800 in Montenegro, and in Serbia, it would be raised to EUR 500 in October. 

"Since the start of the year, we have held 14 protests and two strikes over pay," he said.

"We are not immune to organizing new ones and we have told every government this, but we hope we can find some understanding and raise the wages through dialogue," the union leader said. mr/