The SPM union of police officers dismissed the 5 percent “raise” planned in the 2022 budget as insufficient. Macedonia is going through an inflation wave and many workers are experiencing a drop in real salaries.

We will acknowledge the wage hike and welcome it if it reaches the levels of the healthcare and education employees – who had their salaries increased three times in three years. We need the salary of a police officer reach the average salary in the country, the union said.

The union accuses Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski of promoting politically aligned officers while failing to respect numerous grounds for promotion and salary increases that are provided in the law.