“I am strongly convinced that social justice for a worker means to receive verification of the labor and a decent wage. Not to be checking every month whether all the hours, holidays and overtime have been recorded and paid, not to be receiving part of the salary on hand, in order for there to be more remaining for the owner. Workers in Macedonia have stopped being equal citizens of this society”, said Mare Anceva, Secretary General of the Union of Industry, Energy and Mining (UIEM) at the conference “Society Without Borders” organized by CIVIL – Center for Freedom.

“Civic activism – yes, but we still do not have worker activism. We have created contemporary slaves, who do not dare to organize themselves in unions or to raise their voices. We have come to a situation of selling the last valuable resource we have, which is the workers. Come to Macedonia because we have cheap labor force! Because you will get obedient workers and silent letters who will not even ask for their rights! That was part of the policy for attracting foreign investments of the previous Government”, stressed Anceva.

Camera: Atanas Petrovski and Dehran Muratov

Editing: Еrmin Klimenta

The statement/address at the conference is part of the project “Society Without Borders”, which CIVIL – Center for Freedom is implementing with the support of the German Heinrich Bὅll Foundation. The goal of the project is to promote and educate the citizens of Macedonia about the Citizen’s Charter, a global document for promoting civil rights and active participation of citizens in decision-making processes.