The Congress is the highest body of the SSM. It is held once in 5 years.
The decision for convoking the Congress is made by the Council of SSM, on a proposal of the Presidency of SSM, at least one month in advance and proposes the agenda of the Congress.
The Congress is consisted of trade union delegates elected by the Trade Unions, as well as delegates by function. The number of delegates is agreed by the Council of SSM according to the number of members paying the membership fee regularly to the SSM in the period between two congresses, and on basis of the number of trade union members being registered in the SSM Council and in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Republic of Macedonia, until the day of the adoption of the decision on number, composition, and way of electing of the SSM’s bodies.
Delegates by function are: the members of the Council, the Supervisory Board and the Presidency, participating in the work of the Congress with no right to participate in the decision making.
The Congress is opened by the President of SSM.
The Congress adopts the Written Procedure for work and elects the Operating Presidency. There is a record kept on the discussion and the decisions.
The Congress has the following tasks:
An extraordinary Congress is convened on the basis of a Decision of the Council of SSM, when required by trade unions organising 2/3 of the membership and paying the membership fee regularly in the period between two congresses.
The Initiative for an Extraordinary Congress has to be explained.
An initiative for extraordinary Congress is submitted when estimated that the Council of SSM is not acting according to the Programme and Statute, and when it does not accomplish the joint programme goals and tasks.
The delegates for an extraordinary Congress are the same ones elected for the prior regular Congress. The Trade Unions elect new delegates for those ones which mandates has been ceased on different basis.
Those submitting an initiative for an extraordinary Congress propose concrete and clearly defined agenda with explanation. The Initiative is to be submitted to the Presidency of SSM and the Council of SSM.
The initiative for an Extraordinary Congress which has not been accepted can be repeated on the same issue in a period not shorter than one year.