A basic prerequisite for dialogue between trade unions and employer organisations to proceed is agreement on full restoration of the Automatic Cost-of-Living Adjustment (CoLA) institution, the General Secretaries of SEK and PEO said shortly before the pan-union meeting where warning strike measures will be decided.
As both SEK General Secretary Andreas Matsas and PEO General Secretary Sotiris Charalambous told CNA, “strike measures are inevitable” since no progress was noted, despite the fact that a time extension was given, as dialogue should have been completed on 30 June.
Andreas Matsas told CNA that during the meeting held at the Labour Ministry last Friday, “deadlock was confirmed in the dialogue on CoLA and it was confirmed that there is a huge divergence between the involved parties”. Consequently, as he said, “the unions have no choice but to activate the decision for warning pan-strike measures” in the public and broader public sector, local government and the private sector.
Strike measures inevitable without progress on automatic indexation system
He noted that the measures will be scheduled at a time that will allow the employer side to differentiate its stance by then. Matsas said that with good will, solutions can be found and expressed hope that escalation of strike measures will not be necessary.
He emphasised that “the basis of dialogue should be the full restoration of the CoLA institution. He explained that this ensures preservation of the CoLA philosophy,” which is explicitly described in the transitional agreements, as Matsas pointed out, while he said that the proposal for gradual implementation of CoLA is outside this framework.
He added, moreover, that full restoration of the CoLA institution is also provided for in collective labour agreements.
Labour ministry talks reveal major divisions between social partners
For her part, PEO General Secretary Sotiris Charalambous noted that “the time extension given during the summer was not utilised to produce common ground”.
She added that during last Friday’s meeting, although it proved fruitless, the unions gave indications that solutions can be found based on the letter and spirit of the transitional agreements on CoLA.
She explained that since the employer side has as its goal the adoption of criteria in CoLA implementation, which would degrade, as she said, the institution, then the unions have no choice but to activate the predetermined decision for strike measures.
Union leaders reject gradual implementation proposals from employers
Charalambous said that “the unions do not refuse dialogue, but the employer side must agree to full implementation of CoLA”.
Indicatively, she referred to a proposal formulated by the employer side for CoLA implementation for those who are union members, where sectoral labour agreements exist, and emphasised that if the institution is dismantled, it will be detrimental to all workers overall.
(information from CNA)