Social partners in North Macedonia have joined with the government in agreeing a three-year national Decent Work Programme aimed at providing more and better jobs, local employment partnerships, upgrading workers’ skills and improving health and safety.
The 2019-2022 Decent Work Programme follows negotiations between trade unions, employers and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Another objective is to bring the country into line with international and EU labour standards and legislation – the Regional Director of the International Labour Organization attended the signing ceremony in March.
“In order to realise these priorities, a full and comprehensive engagement of the social partners is needed,” said Darko Dimovski, President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM). “We need to strengthen the capacities of the unions and employers' organisations; to increase our membership and to actively participate in the social dialogue at all levels. The improvement of collective bargaining should also be an important challenge in the cooperation between the social partners.”
The unions are looking especially for policies for young and socially vulnerable people, poverty reduction and wage growth, equal pay for work of equal value, stronger social security and work-life balance, and an end to discrimination.