On May 1, the Trade Union Federation staged its Labor Day protest, demanding, as it said, a dignified income for workers facing low wages, rising living costs, and a feeling of being undervalued.
Participants said they were fighting, not begging, for wages. As it was pointed out, 260,000 workers earn the minimum wage, while a third face poverty.
The Confederation of Free Trade Unions did not join the protest, stating that social dialogue should be conducted at the table, not on the streets. However, the Federation stated that when dialogue failed, a protest was the only form of pressure.
SDSM supported the protest, while PM Mickoski stated that staging a protest was a democratic right.