Minimum wages in selected SEE countriesEvelyn Astor

Minimum wages have been defined by the International Labour Organisation as ‘The minimum amount of remuneration that an employer is required to pay wage earners for the work performed during a given period, which cannot be reduced by collective agreement or an individual contract.’ 1 Their main purpose is to ensure that work guarantees decent livelihoods for workers and their families. They also have important macroeconomic functions as they help to stabilise the economy by supporting aggregate demand during downturns and countering inflation. 2 Minimum wages in south-eastern Europe tend to be substantially lower than the rest of Europe. The social partners tend to be involved in minimum wage setting machinery; nevertheless, the adequacy of wages remains a major concern with a substantial share of workers experiencing poverty and severe material deprivation in some countries. This article gives an overview of the relevant minimum wage provisions across a selection of south-east European countries: Albania; Montenegro; FYR Macedonia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Slovenia; and Serbia.