The Independent Trade Union for Education, Science and Culture (SONK) released a statement Saturday, expressing astonishment from SDSM president Zoran Zaev's calls to the unions to 'unite in some kind of people's front'.
"Zoran Zaev's statement is an unseen precedent in political actions, not only in our country, but wider, in democratic Europe. A precedent that has not taken place since the time of Bolshevism. We remind him that the trade unions, as well as organizations that exist in all democratic countries in the world, have their sphere of actions, which is not a party policy at all, and with the highest international documents of the United Nations, as well as with the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Macedonia, their freedom to organize and their free actions in terms of labor rights are guaranteed. In line with Macedonia's Criminal Code, the interference in their work and activities is considered an act of crime," the press release reads.
According to SONK, serious breaches of several laws have been committed in Zaev's statement, and with his calls to the teachers and the professors to take part in the announced people's front, the law on banned political badgering of education employees is violated on all levels.