The Economic-Social Council did not reach an agreement on alignment of salaries with the minimum wage. The Confederation of Free Unions (KSS) has already said it would stage a protest on March 30, whereas the Union of Education, Science and Culture (SONK) said it would hold a general strike in April, news agency MIA reports.

Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi said after the Council’s meeting that dialogue between unions and ministries should continue at the level of ministry, public enterprise and state-owned joint-stock company, through the provisions in the collective bargaining agreements.

“Today, we agreed that the dialogue between the unions and the ministries should continue, and instead of taking place solely in the Economic-Social Council, to go down at the level of ministry, public enterprise or state-owned joint-stock company. This is why managers and administrative authorities are there, to negotiate with. In addition, there are collective agreements, general but also sectoral. If necessary, they could be opened and inspected over the possibility for their alignment with the amendments to the Law on Minimum Wage. This is a process but not one based on wishes,” noted Deputy PM Bytyqi.

According to him, the representative unions understand that the country is going through severe crises, which means that solutions cannot come at once. Bytyqi said the Government remained committed to a 5-percent rise of salaries in the education sector in September, the same as for Ministry of Interior employees, along with a 15-percent increase for the judiciary and the prosecution.