Trade union PEO on Sunday sent a message of solidarity to the millions of people driven to migrate for a better tomorrow as International Migrants Day is marked around the world on December 18.
In a statement, PEO condemned any behaviors that create a climate of racism and xenophobia and declared that the only way to protect workers, both Cypriots and migrants, is unity, class fraternity and organised struggle.
Migrants in Cyprus are one of the most vulnerable categories of workers, and they experience discrimination, exploitation and violation of rights guaranteed through legislation and collective agreements, PEO said, adding that they are often used as cheap labour by employers, who “turn them into a lever to promote the deregulation of labour relations and undermine stable and regulated work”.
PEO called for the necessary legislative regulations to oblige employers to implement collective agreements, an integrated strategy for the employment of foreign labour to provide safeguards for the protection of all workers from third countries.
Their employment should be regulated by collective labour agreements, PEO said, agreed with social partners where and where sectoral/company agreements do not apply.