Cultural institution employees protested in front of the Ministry of Culture today due to unpaid March salaries and a new salary calculation method. The protest was triggered by the fact that workers were forced to spend the Easter holidays without pay.

The core issue is the non-payment of salaries, which, according to the collective agreement, should include a 10 percent increase to account for rising living costs. Protesters labeled the situation an administrative fraud and a betrayal, accusing the government of continuing a problematic tradition.

Vera Atanasovska, president of the Union of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia (SCRM), explained that the Ministry of Culture has introduced new guidelines for calculating salaries, altering how the 10% increase from the general collective agreement is applied. The previous calculation methods, which adhered to the Collective Agreement, are now considered invalid. Institutions are currently unsure how to proceed with these new guidelines.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) voiced strong support for the cultural workers. Slobodan Trendafilov, president of SSM, criticized the Minister of Culture for allegedly opposing the workers’ collectively agreed salaries, despite receiving a 79% salary increase himself. Trendafilov urged cultural institution employees to participate in the SSM protest scheduled for May 1st.

Trendafilov stated that the government is intimidated by the growing number of protesters and that the workers demand immediate payment of salaries as per the Collective Agreement. The protest concluded with chants of “Justice, justice” and the singing of the national anthem. The protesters indicated that they resorted to street action because their concerns were not being addressed through official channels. The workers expressed hope that they would receive their March salaries before the May Day holidays.