On 14 April 2022, the International Labour Organization and the Labour and Social Law Association of North Macedonia presented the Analysis of the alignment of the Macedonian legislation with the Violence and Harassment Convention, no. 190. The Analysis of the alignment of the Macedonian legislation with the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, no 190, was […]

When mishandling equipment can cause damages or even fatal accidents, investment into quality training is indispensable. This holds especially true for electrotechnical professions. In North Macedonia, the ILO and partners introduced for the first time a virtual reality training for 300 future electrotechnicians in five vocational schools across the country. Complex and potentially dangerous operations, […]

Almost every worker and every business in North Macedonia have been affected by Covid-19, therefore the need for trade union assistance for workers has grown significantly since the onset of the pandemic. The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia has been ringing the alarm about the malpractices and the increased number of rights infringements in […]

The report gives a global overview of how countries are grappling with the recovery, eighteen months into the crisis. Based on new data, it provides a detailed picture of the different recovery trends between developed and developing countries. It also analyses the impact of vaccination rates on labour market by region, and the distortions the […]

On 14 October 2021, the Organization of Employers of Macedonia held the first of a series of planned business breakfast to meet with business representatives in order to exchange views and ideas that will result in proposals for improving the legislation in the areas of interest to employers and business community. This first business breakfast […]

 Background A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, sharing […]

At the request of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the EU-funded and ILO-implemented project Strengthening Social Dialogue organized two webinars under its activities on building the capacities of the standing committees within the Economic and Social Council. The topics of the webinars were Activation Strategy for GMA (guaranteed minimum assistance) beneficiaries and the […]

The main findings of the local labour market diagnostics for each of the municipalities as well as the future steps for the realization of the given recommendations were presented at the online networking meeting of the Local Economic and Social Councils, beneficiaries of the Strengthening Social Dialogue project. The presentation was led by Ms. Daniela […]

Part of the atmosphere at the „open restaurants“, events held in Ohrid and Struga on 22 & 23 July 2021, respectively, so as to promote the pilot measure that will help in reducing the bureaucratic procedures when registering seasonal workers. This pilot measure is part of the campaign to tackle informal economy, under Strengthening the social […]

Support in creating policies and mechanisms that will reduce the number of undeclared workers is one of the main priorities of the Economic and Social Council (ESC). In order to improve this segment, ESC, through the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Organization of Employers of Macedonia and the Federation of Trade Unions of […]

The railway station in Bitola was symbolically used for the event “Catch the train, as it is possible from Bitola (too)” organized by the Preda Plus Foundation, marking the first anniversary of the Bitola Start-up Center, brining together all 4 generations of startups who came out of their accelerator and celebrating 10 years since the establishment […]

On the occasion of the postponed celebration of its anniversary, on 9 June 2021, the Organization of Employers of Macedonia organized a session of its Assembly and a debate on the topic: „Macedonian economy before and after the pandemic”. At the formal session, ORM elected its new management and awarded certificates of gratitude to its collaborators […]

Twenty-two companies offering over 200 vacancies were part of the fifth “Career Fair” organized by the Youth Cultural Center – Bitola, where all those who are looking for a job, without previous experience or need additional training, could get better acquainted and informed and thus take the first step towards their employment. The mission of […]

The official final event of the fourth generation of the program • It can be done from Bitola too • in the form of a DEMO DAY was held in the premises of Bitola Start-up Center – under the Local Employment Partnership (LEP) Bitola, financially supported through Strengthening Social Dialogue, a project implemented by the […]

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Economic and Social Council is the only tripartite social dialogue institution at national level, with a consultative role to the Government in the development and implementation of economic and social policies. The ESC has an advisory role, and issues opinions and recommendations to the Government on matters pertaining to economic development; […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has led governments, employers, workers and the general population to face unprecedented challenges in relation to the virus and the many effects it has had on the world of work. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on strategies to strengthen national occupational safety and health (OSH) systems […]

ILO_WHO Interim guidance

In the period 16 March to 1 April 2021, the EU-funded and ILO-implemented Strengthening Social Dialogue Project organized a series of webinars for the members of the Economic and Social Councils, on Collective Bargaining Skills and Consensus-Building Skills in times of crises.  The general objective of this activity is to develop the capacities of the tripartite constituents, to […]

In the last quarter of 2020, the ILO supported the Organization of Employers of Macedonia (OEM) and Business Confederation of Macedonia (BCM) in conducting a second countrywide enterprise survey with the aim to track business challenges and needs resulting from the protracted COVID-19 crisis.  The survey helped to assess the effectiveness of economic emergency measures […]

Bitola is already seriously placed on the map of start-up centers, so with this call we expect an even larger number of applicants who will develop their innovative start-up ideas with the help of our mentoring and training program in the next few months, and the most successful will be supported with a grant in the form […]

The International Labour Organization project, Strengthening Social Dialogue, launched an awareness-raising campaign on workers’ rights, under the motto “My labour, my rights”. The six-month campaign will entail promotional activities through different channels and will offer easily accessible details on labour rights, which even more gain on importance in times when the COVID-19 pandemic changed the […]

The dramatic increase in working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the poor working conditions experienced by many homeworkers who, prior to the crisis, numbered an estimated 260 million people worldwide. GENEVA (ILO News) – Those working from home, whose number has greatly increased due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, […]

If you have the courage and knowledge to develop an innovative idea BITOLA START-AP is the place for you. Start something of your own and prove that it can be done from Bitola too. In such a way, the beginning of the open call for application with business ideas organized by BITOLA START-AP CENTER was announced  in […]

The Economic and Social Council, with the support of the International Labour Ogranization, is launching a campaign to raise awareness among workers about their rights and responsibilities arising from employment. The main information tool of the campaign is the web platform www.mojtrudmoiprava.mk which enables the citizens to quickly and easily find out everything regarding their labour rights. […]

Bitola Start-up program was officially launched on 20 October 2020 at the premises of the Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies where the Start-up Center is located.  Bitola Start-up is the first Local Employment Partnership to be implemented within the ILO-implemented project, Strengthening Social Dialogue, with financial support from the European Union. The activities planned […]

Against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic, most countries have re-opened their economy and workers have been requested to return to their workplace. The present Brief highlights the need for social dialogue in order to ensure a safe return to work. It also illustrates a number of practical examples from across the globe where this […]

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The overall objective of the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project is to improve the social dialogue as a means to create more and better jobs. This will be achieved through institutional and legislative improvement along with activities aimed at strengthening the capacities of the tripartite actors to engage effectively in social dialogue. Specific […]

On the occasion of the World Day for Decent Work, 7 October, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Economic and Social Council announce an awareness-raising campaign on workers’ rights. The campaign is supported through the project Strengthening Social Dialogue, funded by the European Union.   Awareness of labour rights is the first step towards […]

The Entrepreneurship eco-system in North Macedonia – Market assessment is the initial step in the introduction of the ILO flagship entrepreneurship training programme Start and Improve Your Business. The in-depth and comprehensive market assessment of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem suggests adaptation and introduction of Business Development Services (BDS) to match the needs of the startups and future entrepreneurs. […]

The aim of the Policy proposal for entrepreneurial culture – start-up and enterprise support services is to identify the policies and strategies related to entrepreneurial skills, as well as the challenges in the design and implementation thereof, targeted at startup companies, and the quality of the educational system to generate future entrepreneurs. The policy paper […]

The objective of the Barriers for Access to Finance for MSMEs is to identify the main reasons why access to finance remains a key challenge for companies in North Macedonia, especially for SMEs and to explore the options and potential actions and measures required to increase access to finance. The analysis is a policy paper […]

A new ILO analysis of the labour market impact of COVID-19 reveals a “massive” drop in labour income and a fiscal stimulus gap that threatens to increase inequality between richer and poorer countries. The devastating losses in working hours caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought a “massive” drop in labour income for workers around […]

The ILO Office for Central and Eastern Europe asked people from different sectors how the pandemic impacted their working life in mid-June, 2020. The interviews reveal they did not only lose a significant amount of their work and income because of the lockdown measures, but also have to deal with work and life imbalance, increased […]

FAQ – Key provisions of international labour standards relevant to the evolving COVID-19 outbreak ILO Standards and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic with its far reaching socio-economic consequences calls for effective tripartite social dialogue and cooperation bringing together governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations to design effective strategies and policies to address its impacts. Social dialogue and tripartism can be drivers for economic and social resilience, competitiveness, stability and inclusive growth and development. ILO […]

The International Labour Organization’s latest analysis of the labour market impact of COVID-19 finds its impact on the world of work was more severe than previously estimated, and offers three scenarios for the second half of 2020. GENEVA (ILO News) – The number of working hours lost across the world in the first half of […]

Please find the complete document on the following link: KEY MESSAGE ENG FINAL

The ILO’s latest analysis of the labour market impact of COVID-19 exposes the devastating and disproportionate effect on young workers, and analyses measures being taken to create a safe return to work environment. GENEVA (ILO News) – More than one in six young people have stopped working since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic  while those who […]

ILO and EBRD published today an assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on employment in North Macedonia. The report shows that the lockdown measures had severe impacts on employment, assesses the measures taken by government so far, and offers policy recommendations on what else to do. The objective of the ILO/EBRD task force Covid-19 and the […]

In order to support policymakers, the ILO Social Protection Department has developed a Rapid Social Protection Calculator for COVID 19.  In “normal” times, such assessments can be prepared well in advance and are based on comprehensive information and sophisticated actuarial models. However, in the context of the COVID 19 crisis, however, urgent and decisive action may […]

Strengthened and comprehensive social protection systems will lessen the impact of crises such as COVID-19 GENEVA (ILO News) -The COVID-19 crisis has exposed devastating gaps in social protection coverage in developing countries, and recovery will only be sustained and future crises prevented if they can transform their ad hoc crisis response measures into comprehensive social […]

Op-ed by Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Organization   In these times of COVID-19, the big challenge for most of us is how to protect ourselves and our families from the virus and how to hold on to our jobs. For policy-makers that translates into beating the pandemic without doing irreversible damage to the economy […]

The latest ILO data on the labour market impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reveals the devastating effect on workers in the informal economy and on hundreds of millions of enterprises worldwide. The continued sharp decline in working hours globally due to the COVID-19 outbreak  means that 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy – that is nearly […]

Prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 in workplaces requires effective processes of risk assessment and risk management. This tool offers a simple and collaborative approach to assess COVID-19 risks as a step to take measures to protect the safety and health of workers. The Checklist can be found at: https://socijalendijalog.mk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Final-Covid19-Checklist-ENG.pdf

The International Labour Organization warns that without adequate safeguards for returning workers there could be a second wave of the virus. GENEVA (ILO News) – As the pressure mounts on countries to ease their lockdown restrictions, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has urged Governments to take action to prevent and control COVID-19 in the workplace , with […]

Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives Recognizing the great challenge that governments, employers, workers and whole societies are facing worldwide to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a catastrophic effect on working hours and earnings, globally. A new ILO report highlights some of the worst affected sectors and regions, and outlines policies to mitigate the crisis. GENEVA (ILO News) – The COVID-19 crisis  is expected to wipe out 6.7 per cent of working hours globally in the second quarter […]

The ILO established a Task Team of employment and labour law specialists to come up with answers and solutions to world of work problems triggered by the coronavirus pandemic in North Macedonia. The multidisciplinary team is led by ILO and includes national experts and representatives of the government, employers’ and workers’ organizations in the Economic […]

New guidelines issued by ILO and UNICEF call on enterprises to do more to support working families during the pandemic. GENEVA (ILO News) – New guidelines for businesses, to help them support working families during the COVID-19 pandemic , have been issued by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) . The preliminary guidance […]

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Economic and Social Council is the only tripartite social dialogue institution at national level, with a consultative role to the Government in the development and implementation of economic and social policies. The ESC has an advisory role, and issues opinions and recommendations to the Government on matters pertaining to economic development; […]

An initial assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the global world of work says the effects will be far-reaching, pushing millions of people into unemployment, underemployment and working poverty, and proposes measures for a decisive, co-ordinated and immediate response. GENEVA (ILO News) – The economic and labour crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic could […]

INTRODUCTION A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among the social partners in North Macedonia. To this end, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavours to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, […]

Skills Challenge Innovation Call: Finding solutions to skills mismatch The ILO is calling on individuals and organizations to share innovative ideas and solutions to address the skills mismatch challenge. The ILO Skills Challenge Innovation Call will recognise and support the development of solutions that aim to address the different forms and dimensions of skills mismatch. For […]

In the framework of the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, an Analysis of the functioning and effectiveness of the Local Economic and Social Councils was commissioned, and based in reports from a previously conducted peer-review exercise and individual interviews, done by an ILO consultant. […]

With the support of the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy held the final regional panel discussion in Skopje on 22nd November 2019, on the topic of creation of the Operational Plan for Active Employment Measures for 2020. The […]

With the support of the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy held the а regional panel discussion in the Municipality of Strumica on 15th November 2019, on the topic of creation of the Operational Plan for Active Employment […]

As part of the activities of the Strengthening Social Dialogue project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, and with the aim of modernizing the services offered by the social partners, as well as provide support to the Local economic and social councils engaged in the Local Employment Partnerships , […]

With the support of the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy held the third regional panel discussion in Skopje on 16th October 2019, on the topic of creation of the Operational Plan for Active Employment Measures for 2020. Representatives […]

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes […]

In the scope of the Strengthening Social Dialogue, project financed by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, a workshop was conducted in hotel Solun, in the period from 8th to 9th October on the topic of Dialogue for Transition to Formality. The subject theme was a point of discussion among the ILO […]

With the support of the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy held the second panel discussion in Bitola, out of the four foreseen regional meetings on the topic of creation of the Operational Plan for Active Employment Measures for 2020. […]

With the support of the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is organizing four regional panel-discussions of the Local Economic and Social Councils. The first regional panel was held on 3 October 2019 in the Municipality of Tetovo […]

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Economic and Social Council is the only tripartite social dialogue institution at national level, with a consultative role to the Government in the development and implementation of economic and social policies. The ESC has an advisory role, and issues opinions and recommendations to the Government on matters pertaining to economic development; […]

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Several progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, sharing […]

Skills mismatch is one of the main challenges that countries in transition face. It is due to the technological advancements, industrial and demographic changes. North Macedonia has reached a significant improvement in building capacities of the national institutions, to be included in the process of anticipation of future needs in terms of skills and occupations. […]

The project Strengthening Social Dialogue, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, aiming at strengthening the Local economic and social councils, organizes a workshop on presentation of practical experience, positive aspects and challenges in the negotiation and implementation of LEPs. During the workshop the participants will be exposed to the […]

The Centenary International Labour Conference has adopted a new Convention and Recommendation to combat violence and harassment in the workplace. The Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019, and Violence and Harassment Recommendation, 2019 , were adopted by delegates on the final day of the Centenary International Labour Conference, in Geneva. For the Convention, 439 votes were cast in […]

The 108th (Centenary) Session of the International Labour Conference is being held from 10 to 21 June 2019 in Geneva, in two locations, the Palais des Nations and the ILO headquarters, with more than 5000 delegates from 187 countries and more than 45 world leaders partaking in discussions to tackle the most pressing issues in the world of […]

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes […]

For the purpose of strengthening the Local Economic and Social Councils, the Strengthening Social Dialogue project, funded by the European Union, and implemented by the International Labour Organization, conducted a series of peer review missions among the LESCs in the country, in the period from 6th to 13th  June 2019 including the LESCs of the following […]

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes […]

Background A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among the social partners in North Macedonia. To this end, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, […]

Background A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among the social partners in North Macedonia. To this end, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, […]

Background A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among the social partners in North Macedonia. To this end, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, […]

Background A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among the social partners in North Macedonia. To this end, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, […]

Through the project Strengthening Social Dialogue, funded by the European Union, the International Labour Organization prepared an analytical comparative study on the functioning of the Macedonian Economic and Social Council and selected National Social Dialogue Institutions in the EU Member States, with special focus on their relevance, operational effectiveness, funding and impact. The findings of […]

Call for Expression of Interest – ESC Communication Strategy – revised

One of the activities within the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, is the Tripartite Assessment of Critical Areas for Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises (EESE). A comparative analysis was conducted on the situation and reforms realized in the period 2013/14 to 2019 in the […]

 LEP – Expression of Interest – EN  

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Economic and Social Council is the only tripartite social dialogue institution at national level, with a consultative role to the Government in the development and implementation of economic and social policies. The Economic and Social Council has an advisory role, and issues opinions and recommendations to the Government on matters pertaining […]

Background   A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, […]

Background   A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, […]

The Project Strengthening Social Dialogue will be officially launched in a ceremony involving the European Union, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Trade Unions and Employers Organizations. The goal of the Project is to improve the social dialogue as a means to create more and better jobs. It will support the participation of social dialogue institutions in policy making at […]

The Project will organize the first meeting of the local economic and social councils as part of its project activities. During this meeting the project activities related to the Local Economic and Social Councils, the concept of Local Employment Partnership and the role of LESCs as drivers of employment partnerships will be presented and as such envisaged a platform […]

The Project Strengthening Social Dialogue, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization, will hold its first steering committee meeting to validate the members of the SC, present the project activities and present, discuss and endorse the composition and manner of operation of the  SC. With its tripartite membership, as well as including all and any […]