On 1.5.2019 on the occasion of the celebration of the First of May, the International Labor Day, a meeting of the Economic and Social Council was held which was attended by the President of CCM, Darko Dimovski, accompanied by 11 Presidents of the Branch Trade Unions affiliated in CCM. This meeting was also attended by the Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev, the Minister for Labor and Social Policy, Mila Carovska, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Kocho Angjushev, the Minister of Finance, Dragan Tevdovski, the President of Employers’ Organization, Angel Dimitrov and other representatives of workers' and employers’ organizations.
Caption 1. Meeting of the Economic and Social Council
Caption 2. The President of CCM, Darko Dimovski and the President of the Government, Zoran Zaev
The President of CCM, Darko Dimovski stressed that the requirements of CCM contained in the May Proclamation are progressive, developmental and motivating and added that they, as well as the draft text of the new Labor Law, have been submitted to the Government. He pointed out that CCM have submitted to the Government and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy its own draft text of a new Labor Law and expects it to be seriously considered by the other social partners if they want greater productivity of the workers, and thus faster economic development of the state, emphasizing the need for the understanding of the demands of the unions and workers and following the European and international labor principles.
The President Dimovski presented CCM's efforts and proposals demanding: More investments, better economic policies and ensuring the right to work for all; Creating real and sustainable jobs; More jobs for women, youth and people with disabilities; Job security and indefinite employment contracts; Stop to fixed-term contracts for more than one year; Healthy and safe jobs; Minimum salary of at least 13,800.00 MKD; Increase of wages - wages to grow, young people to stay; Social security and protection; Stable pension system - stop to the increase of the retirement age limit; Deleting the control period for overtime work, night work and work on a day of weekly rest; Increase of severance pay to 12 salaries for dismissals due to business reasons; Saturday and Sunday, days of weekly rest; Right to annual leave recourse for all employees; Gender equality; Stop to mobbing and discrimination; Protection of motherhood and increase of maternity leave to 12 months; Introduction of the right to paternity; Adjustment of the workers' rights with the CA, and not with the act and the exclusive right of the employer; Stop to the interference in trade union organization; Against a separate Law on Trade Unions and Promotion of an active, real and quality social dialogue.
Caption 3. Attendees on the meeting
The Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced an increase of the minimum wage. He said they are seriously considering a new increase in the minimum wage this year with consultations with all stakeholders in order to find the most appropriate model. "We believe that in May and June we will discuss this issue and hopefully from July 1st we shall increase the minimum wage to 13.000 MKD. The dialogue continues and I believe that we will find tools and ways where all stakeholders will be satisfied with such steps".
The Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Mila Carovska stressed that most of the requests that today were presented by CCM will be covered in the new Labor Law which will be carried out in wider consultation and mentioned that the Government wants to hear the voice of all trade unions and organizations.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Kocho Angjushev said that he sees space for employers and employees to become partners. "We can make a beautiful cohesion and it is based on balance. The employer is not in a good position if he does not see the workers happy, because only a happy worker is a productive worker, and a conscientious employer sees his employees as a family. Now there is a new space for cooperation between trade unions and employers, how to raise productivity, how to improve competitiveness, and we as a Government will help".
The Minister of Finance, Dragan Tevdovski, stressed that the Government has an understanding and is applying the concept of fair growth, or growth that will cover most of the citizens, and not just some of them. One of the first steps that were made was the raise of the minimum wage for all branches. The increase in the minimum wage had an effect on the growth in the lowest paid sectors, but also in the sectors with higher wages. The salary growth was accompanied by other positive economic movements.
The members of the Economic and Social Council concluded that in the future the meetings of the ESC should involve other competent ministers, members of the ESC, as well as they should hold regular meetings between trade unions, employers and institutions in order to create greater productivity and competitiveness which means a lot for the development of the Macedonian economy.
