Durmishi: The Demand for a €600 Minimum Wage Should Be Discussed by the Economic and Social Council

Minister of Economy and Labor Besar Durmishi said the government and the ministry he heads are ready to engage in dialogue with social partners on revising the minimum wage formula, how it is calculated in relation to the average wage, and new collective agreements.

According to him, every decision must be based on real economic indicators. Durmishi announced that the minimum wage level and the current calculation formula will soon be discussed with social partners within the Economic and Social Council.

“At one of the Economic and Social Council meetings this year, this issue will certainly be put on the table for discussion. Let us agree on the collective agreement. There are certain institutions where a department head receives a higher salary than a minister, or more than someone else who works much harder. When we review these demands, they clash with one another. Let us sit down and change the formula for calculating the minimum wage,” Durmishi said.

The minister was responding to warnings of union pressure over the minimum wage, ahead of the regular legal adjustment expected to take place in March next year.

During his statement, Durmishi also spoke about the implementation of the measures set out in the reform agenda. He said the Ministry of Economy and Labor has so far completed five key steps, for which the country is expected to receive around €20 million from the European Union once official confirmation is obtained.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia is demanding that the minimum wage reach €600. The opposition party SDSM has made the same demand, announcing that it will submit a new legislative proposal on the minimum wage.

The formula currently in force sets the minimum wage based on 50 percent of the cost of living and 50 percent of the increase in the average wage. Of the approximately 750,000 people employed in the country, around 30,000 receive the minimum wage.