Kriva Palanka, 22 August 2023 (MIA) — Urging all pensioners to attend the Skopje protest scheduled for Sept. 20, members of the Kriva Palanka and Rankovce Pensioners Association protested Tuesday to demand a pension increase of 3,500 denars starting with their September retirement checks.

Protest organizers also presented additional requests, including raising the minimum pension to 18,000 denars and amending the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance's provisions on Pensioners Association membership fees.

They said their association's management had misspent their membership fees and demanded that membership fees be optional.

In response, the Kriva Palanka and Rankovce Pensioners Association president Trajche Davidovski said they supported the demands for higher pensions.

"We support the demands, but we believe the solutions should be sought in the state institutions and not on the street," Davidovski said.

"Canceling membership fees will lead to the dissolution of Pensioners Associations that use these funds to finance their members' activities," he added.

The protesters said they would submit their demands to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund.

They also demanded the resignations of the current labor minister as well as of the Pensioners Associations Union leader. mr/