Skopje, 1 May 2026 (MIA) - The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) is organizing a protest rally on Friday to mark the International Workers' Day, demanding higher wages and better working conditions.

SSM leader Slobodan Trendafilov called for a mass turnout at a press conference on Wednesday, stressing that workers should clearly express their dissatisfaction with low wages, inadequate workers' rights protection, as well as the relations between institutions and employers.

The protest begins at 11 am in front of the union building, to the Parliament, the Economic Chamber and will end before the government building where protesters will voice their demands.

The focus is on the unions' demand for a minimum wage of EUR 600, which according to the SSM is a necessary minimum for a dignified life.

The Ministry of Interior said in a press release that special traffic rules are in place on Friday as the protest takes place.

The Independent Trade Union for Education, Science and Culture (SONK), which organized a conference ahead of Labor Day on "Labor Policies and Collective Agreements - Legal Framework, Implementation and Challenges", will not take part in the protest. 

SONK head Jakim Nedelkov said they call for resolving issues through social dialogue and negotiations, rather than street protests.

"We chose the path of social dialogue and negotiations, we achieve the results at the table. They chose to take to the streets, that is their strategy," said Nedelkov.

He noted that as a Trade Union, this year they have decided to mark this important holiday for workers with a scholarly conference and high-level discussions about labor laws that apply to workers, as well as collective agreements, their implementation in practice, and the challenges ahead in terms of collective agreements.

International Workers' Day is observed on May 1 to commemorate the victims in the 1886 Chicago strike demanding an eight-hour workday.

In memory of the victims, in 1889, the founding congress of the Second International adopted a declaration to set May 1 as a day for demonstrations and strikes. Since then, protest rallies have been held in most countries around the world.

May 1 is declared a non-working day in accordance with the Law on Holidays in the country.

International Workers' Day is a national public holiday in over 80 countries worldwide.

Photo: MIA archive