The Cyprus Workers’ Confederation (SEK) has called for a comprehensive reassessment of all employment policies, citing concerns that the Cypriot labour market has become a breeding ground for labour exploitation and precarious work conditions.
This call comes in the wake of a recent extensive session held by SEK, which focused on the analysis and evaluation of data across various sectors of economic activity.
The results of this analysis led SEK to assert that the labour market in Cyprus is grappling with significant deregulation issues.
These problems include widespread non-compliance with collective labour agreements, the presence of unscrupulous employers, particularly subcontractors in the construction industry, and a lack of adherence to safety and health standards in various workplaces.
Furthermore, the handling of foreign labourers from third countries and the exploitation of political asylum seekers in a clandestine manner have exacerbated the situation.
SEK particularly highlighted the adverse impacts on sectors such as the hospitality industry, construction, dairy production (where numerous businesses employ predominantly foreign workers), entertainment centres, bakeries, cleaning services, and distribution networks.
In light of these concerns, SEK is urging the government, specifically the Ministry of Labor, to embark on a comprehensive reevaluation of all aspects of employment policy, including:
- Revisiting the policy concerning political asylum seekers
- Conducting a thorough review and overhaul of the strategy for employing workers from third countries, taking into account recommendations from the trade union movement, including the alignment of this strategy with the immigration policy proposed by the new government.
- Increasing inspections to combat undeclared work.
- Introducing a requirement that no public contracts for construction projects are awarded to companies without a collective labour agreement in place with the accredited trade union. This suggestion aims to extend the application of collective agreements to cover all workers, regardless of their nationality.
The Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO) has also called for the expansion of collective agreements as a solution to address labour market deregulation and the exploitation of migrant workers. OEB stresses the need for a rational and inclusive discussion on foreign workers, as well as the importance of comprehensive analysis, training for the unemployed, and the extension of collective bargaining coverage.