Skopje, 10 July 2023 (MIA) — The government has reached an agreement with the public sector unions regarding their requests of higher salaries and a new methodology for future salary raises. Public sector employees will receive 10 percent higher paychecks as of September as well as an annual leave allowance of Mden 10,000 for 2023.

After meeting with public sector union representatives on Monday, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska said they had agreed on the general collective agreement and all open issues they had been discussing for months.

"We agreed that the new methodology for calculating public sector salaries will start in March 2025," Minister Trenchevska told the press after the meeting.

"Public sector salaries will be raised as of September 2003, and annual leave allowance of 10,000 denars will be granted no later than December 2023," she added.

The general collective agreement will also include a provision for the annual leave allowance as of 2024 to be equal to at least 30 percent of the country's average salary in the previous year, Trenchevska said. mr/