Some 17.700 public sector employees will get a bonus of 150 EUR for holiday costs, the Government announced today. Public Administration Minister Damjan Mancevski signed a contract with the UPOZ administrative union, which also provides guarantees for more flexible hours and paid family leave. Mancevski denied that the move was made with the April 12 elections in mind.

The so-called K-15 bonus won’t apply to the ethnic Albanian employees hired under the “fairness rules” introduced with the 2001 Ohrid framework peace treaty, who are not assigned tasks in the administration. Several thousand such employees collect salaries but stay at home, and Mancevski said that after a discussion it was decided that they will not get the holiday bonus.