The MDS union that represents diplomats in the Macedonian Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the state of labour relations in the Ministry, and said that the consequences from the term of Nikola Dimitrov are still felt. The union said that Dimitrov, who was recently moved from this department to the EU affairs department, divided the employees along political lines and extensively violated the merit system in hiring and in determining which diplomats will be posted where.

On the International Workers’ Day, we need to remind the public that many issues and demands by the Foreign Ministry employees have not been answered. One of them is to rectify the injustices from the previous management under Minister Dimitrov, when 30 employees were degraded without basis and their pays and retirement benefits were slashed. They were also prevented from being sent to diplomatic missions. The MDS union works to correct the errors of management, but unfortunately we continue to be ignored even though our suggestions are constructive, the union said in a press release, urging Minister Bujar Osmani to work with them in the future.

The union warned that Dimitrov instituted a policy of dividing the diplomats into “ours” and “yours”, along political lines, created a patronage network and lashed out at people voicing different opinions.

Diplomats were unlawfully fired, faced disciplinary motions if they were politically “unfit” and human resources outlays were abused to systematically degrade the best employees. The workers were neglected and the merit system – trampled, the MDS union stated.

The union also informed that it continues to organize vaccination in Serbia for Macedonian diplomats and their spouses, after the Macedonian Healthcare Ministry failed in providing timely vaccines. Serbian authorities and the MDS union helped secure vaccination for Macedonian diplomats in the city of Vranje.