The employees of "Fakom" have already been paid their salaries for January 2025, and the annual vacation allowance for 2024 has also been paid, the Federation of Trade Unions informs. After about ten days ago, the Trade Union of Industrial, Energy and Mining Workers of Macedonia - SIER and SSM, together with the workers, organized a strike within the factory due to unpaid salaries, last year's K-15 and the thirteenth salary for 2023, negotiations have been held with the management team in the past period, which have begun to yield initial results, the Federation of Trade Unions adds.

– The management team has assured that by March 25, the salary for February will be paid, the 13th salary for 2023 will be paid, and an additional payment will be made for the difference from the less paid salary for December 2024. In addition to SIER and SCM, the Government was also involved in the process, with whose help the funds that were not paid from the budget to the employer were paid, which significantly contributed to the payment of the arrears of salary and K-15 to the workers – SCM added.

According to the statements of the president of SIER, Igor Gerasov, salaries in the past period of one year have not been paid regularly. The company, which has existed on the Macedonian market for 65 years, employs 550 people. He explained that in the past year "Fakom" showed losses of about 200 million denars, but also that the company has orders for work for the next three years.

– The company has negotiated contracts for the upcoming period, but the problem is that the workers have not been paid, even though they have done their job – Gerasov emphasized.

President of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Macedonia, Slobodan Trendafilov, expressed concern over, as he said, the re-emergence of oligarchic practices and called on institutions to ensure the protection of workers.