Economic Chamber of North Macedonia proposes reducing public holidays

The Economic Chamber of North Macedonia is proposing legislative changes to reduce the number of non-working public holidays to boost worker productivity and resolve organizational and financial issues for employers. Project Manager Aneta Dimovska stated that the current number of holidays is among the highest in Europe, causing difficulties for businesses and leading workers to travel abroad by combining holidays.

The proposal suggests maintaining 11 state holidays while allowing employees to choose three specific religious or community holidays to observe through their employment contracts. This would indirectly reduce the total number of non-working days to 13. Additionally, the Chamber proposes that if a holiday falls on a Sunday, it should not be transferred to the following Monday as a non-working day.

Dimovska noted that the current system may create inequality among different religious and community groups. The proposal will be submitted to the Ministry of Economy and Labor for further consideration. The Federation of Trade Unions has expressed disagreement with the initiative.