AKEL’s 10 proposals to support workers, pensioners and the vulnerable

 

Statement by AKEL MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance Committee A. Kafkalias, following the Committee’s meeting with the Minister of Labour and Social Insurance

12 July 2022

We had the opportunity today to exchange views with the Minister of Labour and Social Security on a number of serious issues within his responsibility. At a time when price increases and the high cost of living are hitting working people hard with the purchasing value of wages are falling dramatically.

As AKEL, we first raised the setback that has been recorded on the minimum wage issue, following the government’s backtracking from what was agreed in the social dialogue. AKEL presented ITS positions, which focus on the following:

• Institutional arrangements to ensure that the basic terms of sectoral collective agreements, including minimum wages, are compulsorily implemented by employers and SHOULD cover all WORKING PEOPLE in the sector.
• Dignified minimum wages and working conditions for those workers not covered by a collective agreement, without exceptions and differentiations, so as to put an end to the phenomenon of the working poor.
• Restoration of the Automatic Cost of Leaving Allowance (COLA) and its extension to apply for all workers.

Furthermore, as AKEL we have raised a number of other key issues affecting working people, pensioners, young people, parents, the unemployed such as:

• The completely justified demand for the abolition of the flattening and unfair 12% penalty on the pensions of the Social Security Fund (for those choosing to retire at the age of 63).
• The problem with the huge delays in the payment of benefits and pensions by the Social Insurance Fund, which are leading to the economic suffocation of thousands of our fellow citizens.
• The provision of sickness and unemployment benefits to persons with social insurance who reach the age of 63 and who, while entitled to a statutory pension, choose not to retire.
• The need to combat the unacceptable phenomenon of deregulation of labour relations by concealing the real employer-employee relationship.
• The need to start a constructive dialogue to find a lasting solution to the serious problem caused by the government’s decisions on shop opening hours in the retail sector.
• The immediate payment of the allowance allocated for the 1974 prisoners of war and war-stricken people.
• The introduction of paid parental leave and other benefits for young parents to reconcile work and family life.

AKEL will continue to intervene to solve all of the above serious problems.