Public administration workers from several ministries and state institutions in North Macedonia, including those in Culture, Justice, Environment, Economy, Labor, Transport, and Digital Transformation, as well as the State Statistical Office, staged a protest on January 14, demanding a 30% salary increase and the signing of collective agreements, reports RFE.
The protest follows years of calls for wage adjustments. Trpe Deanoski, head of the Union of Administrative Workers, criticized the Ministry of Finance for failing to approve funding necessary for collective agreements despite repeated discussions with government officials.
Calls for Equity in Wage Increases
Currently, the average salary in these protesting institutions is around 29,000 denars (€471), significantly below the national average of 42,124 denars (€684). A 30% raise would add approximately 6,000 denars (€100), yet salaries would still fall below the national average.
Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski highlighted disparities in wage increases among institutions, citing the need for a unified pay system to ensure fairness.
Government and Opposition Stances
While the government claims a 30% increase is currently beyond the state budget’s capacity, opposition parties, including the Social Democratic Union (LSDM), expressed support for the workers, urging the government to address their demands and prevent further employee turnover in the public sector.
Protests to Continue
Protests are set to occur daily this week, culminating in a demonstration outside the Ministry of Finance on Friday. The Union of Administrative Workers has called on the government to reach an agreement to avoid further disruptions.
The 2025 state budget includes projected revenues of 358.8 billion denars (€5.83 billion) and expenditures of 400 billion denars (€6.50 billion), reflecting respective increases of 13% and 10% from the previous year. However, union representatives argue that the workers’ demands are long overdue and justified.
