Shtip, 10 March 2023 (MIA) - The Economic and Social Council will make a decision on the amount of the minimum wage at a session on Monday, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska said in a statement to MIA.

"The decision on the amount of the minimum wage is made by the Economic and Social Council, then it is published in the Official Gazette, so that employers can align the wages they will pay for the month of March with the decision, i.e. with the amount of the minimum wage," Trenchevska said in the video statement at MIA's press center in Shtip.

The new law on labor relations is expected to enter in government procedure in the first half of 2023,  regarding which meetings and discussions with all stakeholders are ongoing. So far, Trenchevska notes, ten debates have been held on this law.

As regards compensations for social and child protection rights, Trenchevska says they have increased.

"Social and child protection rights have been aligned, i.e. increased by 14.2 percent with the February payment on March 5. State Statistical Office data came out at the end of January. Social centers were not able to come up with new solutions and therefore the increase was with the payment in March, i.e. adjustment of rights for both January and February," said Trenchevska.

Asked about the announced increase in pensions, Trenchevska said pensioners will receive the increase with the payment of pensions in March.

"The government is focused on systemic solutions, and systemic solutions mean more income for both workers and pensioners. With the payment of the pension for March, which follows at the end of March, all pensioners will receive an increase in their pensions by 8.4 percent. For example, those getting Mden 14,000 pension, will receive an increase of about Mden 1,200, i.e. about Mden 15,200 or 15,180," said Trenchevska. 

Viktorija Dimitrova-Jovanova