Social partners agree on Minister’s proposal over third-country workers

Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Yiannis Panagiotou has announced that the social partners (Trade Unions and Employers) have agreed on his proposal over the issue of participation of third-country nationals in the Cyprus labour market.

The three-point agreement paves the way for the discussion aiming to shape an “agreed content” regarding the updating of the Strategy for the employment of Foreign Workers in Cyprus.

The proposal was submitted to the social partners on 9 April.

Speaking after meeting with the trade unions and employers and accompanied by the leaders or high-ranking officials of the Cyprus trade unions and employers’ associations, Panagiotou praised the leaderships of the social partners “for once again exhibiting seriousness and mature stance that traditionally describes them which enables them to reach mutually accepted agreements on complex and difficult issues.”

“Especially at the current juncture of great external challenges that affect our country’s labour market, internal normality on the basis of cooperation and unity constitutes a necessity to which all of us respond in a responsible manner,” he added

Panagiotou added the Memorandum of Understanding for the cooperation in relation with the participation of third-country workers in the labour market “provides that the social partners reaffirm their mutual focus on constructive cooperation for the appropriate staffing of the labour market through the substantive consultive support to the State, for the growth of the economy and the cohesion of the society.”

The agreement, he added, provides the cooperation between the social partners via the operation of a Tripartite Consultation Committee on a central level, the improvement of living conditions for foreign workers through common standards and provision of the appropriate capacities, as well as the utilisation and update of the present Strategy for the Employment of Foreign Labour Force with a view to shaping an agreed framework.

Panayiotou said the Committee will convene following the Easter Holidays marking the implementation of the agreement’s provisions.

(Source: CNA)