Skopje, 1 April 2025 (MIA) – Attacks towards the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) will not stop the union from demanding higher wages and better living standards for workers, SSM leader Slobodan Trendafilov said Tuesday, noting that a public session of SSM bodies will be held on Wednesday beginning at 12:05 pm in front of the Workers' Home and participants will proceed to the Parliament, the Economic Chamber, and the Government, where the session will continue. 

"The inhuman behaviour towards union representatives not only violates the Constitution and laws of Macedonia, but also violates international labour conventions. The International Labour Organization, the European and International Trade Union Confederations, which give full support to SSM, have already been notified of this," said Trendafilov. 

He asked whether life would be happy and cheerful without him or the SSM, and then gave a negative answer, calling on officials to take off the rose-tinted glasses through which they look at their expensive and luxurious offices.

Trendafilov said SSM is concerned about the situation in which 250,000 workers receive a wage of up to 32,000 denars, and 380,000 workers receive a wage below the average wage in the country. He noted that the public session is against the Government's decision to increase the minimum wage by 1,800 denars only, which the union considers unlawful and insufficient. SSM demands that the minimum wage be 30,000 denars, instead of the proposed 24,300 denars.

According to the announcements, the public session will start in front of the SSM and then proceed in front of the Parliament, where the union will state that there can be no improvement in the wages of MPs without an improvement in the wages of workers. Next, in front of the Economic Chamber, the SSM will stress that support of workers is essential for the stability of the economy. The final part of the protest will take place in front of the Government, where the union will demand that workers be included in decisions about their wages. 

Photo: print screen