On January 28, cultural workers’ are also taking the streets because the institutions forced them there!

The past year of 2025, as well as the beginning of 2026, were marked by a series of serious and worrying developments in the culture.

Starting from the systematic disrespect of the Collective Agreements, through the reduction of the salaries of the cultural workers’ by 3%, to the complete ignoring of every legal obligations by the Ministry of Culture.

We witnessed absurd situations: over 800 lawsuits filed by employees in the culture, ignoring more than 20 court rulings obtained in favor of the cultural workers, issuing instructions for calculating salaries at the discretion of the minister, as well as an initiative before the Constitutional Court to assess the constitutionality of the Collective Agreement for Culture.

Additionally, unconstitutional laws were passed that directly repealed the Collective Agreements in the area of ​​determining salaries, and the arbitrariness of the minister and certain directors became everyday practice.

All of this represents direct and continuous damage to employees in culture and to the cultural activity itself.

That’s why on January 28, 2026, SSM organizes a protest to increase the minimum wage and all other salaries.

SKRM supports the protest and we strongly believe that there are many reasons for protest.

Therefore, colleagues, this is not an appeal.

This is a direct call.

A call to resist arbitrariness,

A call to respect laws and court decisions, a call to protect labor and protect Collective Agreements.

A call for the reason to be stronger than the arrogance of the office!

On January 28, cultural workers are also taking the streets because the institutions forced us there.

See you on Wednesday, in front of SSM, at 5:00 PM.

Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM)