The Macedonian Constitution provides that citizens, except for military and police personnel and civil servants, have the right to form and join trade unions. It maintains the assets of the old unions and is the government's main negotiating partner on labor issues. While its officers may tend to oppose strikes because of the legacy of the past, they appear to be genuinely independent of the government. The Constitution provides for the right to strike, and many brief strikes occurred in 1994, mainly by employees of state-owned companies who were receiving their pay months late. Often, the companies, cut off by the Greek embargo from many foreign markets, simply did not have the funds to pay their workers.
Trade unions are free to affiliate internationally.
Parliament has not adopted legislation in this area. No law prohibits anti-union discrimination, but no instances were reported in 1994 and 1995. There are no export processing zones. The Ministries of Labor and Internal Affairs effectively enforce legal prohibitions against forced labor. Younger children, however, are often seen peddling cigarettes or other small items, or working in family-owned shops or on family farms.