Representatives of protesting retirees met today with Labour and Welfare Minister Jovanka Trencevska to present their demands. The protesters want an equal, linear increase or retirement incomes by over 50 EUR (3,500 denars) and setting the minimum pension at 18,000 denars – instead of the current 12,500 denars.

After the meeting protest organizer Dragan Ugrinovski said that the pensions are not keeping up with inflation and that the elderly are struggling.

Minister Trencevska told us that she will review our demands and discuss them at a meeting of the Government, but that she initially rejected their demands, Ugrinovski said.

The Government wants to increase pensions as a whole by 6.8 percent, but will divide the increase proportionately – giving the most to those with already high pensions, and undercutting those with the lowest pensions.