Goce Delcev, President of the Independent Police Union (IPU), in an interview for CIVIL Media emphasized the problems police officers face and how the catastrophically low standard of the employees in the MOI – influences the safety of citizens and also the security situation in the country. He speaks about the organizing of the union under the specific conditions in which the police are organized and work in, as well as about the next steps of the IPU for improving the working conditions of the police and about the funds spent for compensating police officers who have won court proceedings against the MOI.

As Delcev stated, and as the Independent Police Union has continuously been emphasizing – lately in some police stations there is not even water, there is no milk or other food that members of the Rapid Deployment Unit and the Special Support Unit are entitled to, there is no appropriate equipment, no shoes, boots and they also lack the basic assets for the work and functioning of the police.

“I, as an individual, am proud to be joining such a union organization precisely at this time period, because Macedonia in the past 25 years was based solely on one trade union (SSM – nb). That union was continuously with all the governments from 1991 until today…The union ‘authority’ together with the government worked against the interest of the worker!”, adding that currently the citizens have a choice between several trade union confederations, through which they can realize and protect their worker’ rights.

The eyes of the citizens in the past several years have been directly pointed at all that is happening in the MOI…And that is why it is extremely important to enable workers’ rights to every employee in the MOI, according to all standards prescribed by the Law on Internal Affairs, law on the police, Labor Relations Law and especially the Collective Agreement. And also according to the Constitution and European and international norms on the functioning of police employees…”, said Delcev.

Biljana Jordanovska

Camera: Dehran Muratov

Editing: Маја Ivanovska

The interview 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.