Skopje, 28th January 2014 (MIA) – Amendments to the Law on Minimum Salary, by which the 3-year increase should start as of March this year, have been adopted at the last governmental session. By adopting these amendments in the Parliament, the minimum salary will gradually increase from the current Denar 8,050 to Denar 10,080.
According to the social partners, it is a mater of historian success which will improve the living standard of citizens and will increase the motivation and productivity of workers, and the employers will also benefit therefrom. According to the trade unions, employers and the Government, what is significant is that the increase of minimum salary was carried out by mutual agreement among all social partners.
The Government expects for the Law envisaging minimum salary increase to be consistently applied since it has been adopted in consultation with all social partners.
– Given the comprehensiveness of the dialogue and the manner of discussing the issues and the consent about how the minimum salary increase was achieved, there is not reason to believe that the law will not be implemented, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Zoran Stavreski said at today’s joint press conference with trade unions and employers.
He stressed that the minimum salary is increased in times when both Macedonia has the lowest level of unemployment and when over 100 thousands of new jobs have been created.
– This historian success is in times when we have the lowest level of unemployment of 28%, which we managed to decrease from the 38% in 2006. All these commitments of the Government also resulted in creating over 100 thousands of jobs, showing that in crisis situation in Europe, Macedonia is a country with well designed policies, being also confirmed by the international financial institutions and the results on the field, Stavreski underlined.
According to the Vice Prime Minister in charge of Economic Affairs Vladimir Pesevski, the legal solution is a significant step forward for workers and protection of their rights, as well as for employers.
– This is clear evidence that we as a Government are oriented toward constant communication with trade unions and companies and discuss all challenges and find solutions to be of interest to the citizens. This solution, as well as many others, have been adopted in direct communication with trade unions and employers undergoing all legally prescribed procedures – Pesevski stressed.
Trade unions and employers have voiced their satisfaction with the legal solution, hoping it would be applied in practice.
– Although there was skepticism that the social partners will determine minimum salary, we have realized this with the historian agreement in 2011 and today in crisis situation we managed to agree and increase the minimum salary. In conditions when salaries and jobs decrease everywhere, Macedonia is an example for institutional social dialogue yielding evident results, President of the Federation of Trade Unions Zivko Mitrevski said.
According to the President of the Organization of Employers, Angel Dimitrov, what was a positive thing was the fact that the increase has been carried out with mutual consensus among the social partners.
Pursuant to the amendments to the Law, in March this year, the minimum salary will gradually increase from the current Denar 8,050 to Denar 8,800, Denar 9,590 in March 2015, reaching Denar 10,080 in March 2016. As for the textile and leather industry, there will be adjustment period by 2018.
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