The President of the Union of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM), Darko Dimovski announced the radicalization of the strike from September, if the Government does not fulfill their demands, namely by raising the minimum wage by 18,4 percent, to harmonize all other wages.

"According to the Law on Minimum Wage and the new methodology, with the increase in the minimum wage, all other wages should be adjusted as well. So, the minimum wage has increased by 18,4 percent and in that legal solution it is said that within six months the other wages must be adjusted as well. But we saw that it didn't happen," said Dimovski in today's guest appearance on Sittel TV.

He pointed out that the strike in the public sector is still ongoing, and there will be radicalization in September, because according to the Government, the law allows them to harmonize salaries until September.

"As social partners, on May 1st we had a meeting with government representatives for the last time, where we were promised that the government would respond and give 2860 denars each with the rebalancing of the budget. We saw in the rebalancing of the Budget, the Minister of Finance Besimi did not foresee that, but they started handing out some increases from the sleeve. Therefore, we will radicalize from September if this increase does not happen," said Dimovski.

He announced that from September they will call all workers, whether from the private or public sector, to go out on the streets.

"We are calling all the workers to the streets, so that we can first exist, to survive, because as the Government says, from September we do not know what will happen due to the announced new energy crisis, savings are being announced, even higher inflation", added the president of SSM.

Currently, as he informed, the strike is being conducted in the public sector, it is striking and won at the local level and in public utilities. Tomorrow, as he said, they will be in Prilep where they will sign an 18 percent increase in a municipal public utility company.

"In September, we should all get an 18,4 percent increase, I'm talking about both the public and the private sector, because the law is the same for everyone," added Dimovski.

Regarding tax reforms, he believes that now is not the time for tax reforms at all.

"After May 1, when the social dialogue disappeared, we understood through the media and through what Minister Besimi presented that there was talk of a progressive tax, but to me this looks more like a regressive tax because it affects the poor more than the rich. Through that tax, the lower salary income from their profit will be more taxed," added Dimovski.

He pointed out that the Union of Trade Unions of Macedonia will propose to the Minister of Finance Fatmir Besimi to tax the profits of the banks, with a 33 percent tax and not, as he pointed out, to pick on the workers, pensioners and the youth.

"The tax cannot all the time fall on the backs of workers and citizens with lower incomes, regardless of whether it is about salaries, pensions or other types of income. At the moment, it is not time for tax reforms", says the president of SSM.