MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE (EESC)

On September 30, 2024, the President of The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) Mr. Slobodan Trendafilov participated in the working meeting with the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Mr. Oliver Röpke.

As a very productive working meeting where many subjects were discussed by the participants, especially it was emphasized the role of the social partners, the importance of the social dialogue and last but not least the role of the civil society.

In his statement President Trendafilov informed the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Mr. Röpke about the situation in the Republic of Macedonia, especially noting the situation with the Social Dialogue and the fact that a session of the Economic and Social Council has not yet been scheduled by the new Government, then about the frequent abuses of the European flag by the previous Government by proposing laws without dialogue with the social partners in order to bypass the procedures, requesting in this matter that this bad practice won’t continue and be taken over by the new Government as a very bad practice that cannot bring anything good for our country.At the end he asked for support at European level, through the new composition of the European Parliament and the new European Commission for the activities that will be undertaken in the Republic of Macedonia in the future, as something of great importance for the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) as the biggest and the only representative trade union in the country.

The President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Oliver Röpke, in his answer especially emphasized that the Social Dialogue always plays an important role in the European Union in the adoption of all Directives, such as the Minimum Wage Directive, which provides the regulation of the minimum wage with collective agreements. He stated that from his part he will commit and do all his best for the Republic of Macedonia to be put on the map for a visit by the EESC Mission the beginning of next year.

President Röpke said that he was well informed about everything that happened in the past when, by abusing the European flag, laws were passed in order to reduce labor rights, such as the introduction of the 72-hour working week, and that he will especially inform the new Commissioner in charge of Social Policy of the European Union about this at their next meeting. At the end, in front of all participants, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) emphasized his and his team efforts to reactivate the Joint Consultative Committee.