AKEL’s actions yield results

AKEL’s actions yield results

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 6^th May 2020, Nicosia

During yesterday’s teleconference between AKEL MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Labour issues Andreas Fakontis, with the Minister of Labour, we were informed that the government has accepted specific proposals elaborated by AKEL on particular problems that have arisen with the implementation of the Special Schemes. More specifically:

1. AKEL’s proposal for including those hired during the months of February-March 2020 in the special schemes for a special unemployment benefit retrospectively for the first period (16/3/2020- 12/4/2020) was adopted. The Ministry is working on ways to pay the special unemployment allowance for the previous period through the computer system.
2. It was decided to include more companies and self-employed persons in the beneficiaries for special allowances, provided that their turnover has been reduced.
3. It was decided to credit the contributions to the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) for employees and self-employed workers up to 65 years of age who while receiving a pension continue to work and pay contributions to the SIF. These persons are not entitled to special schemes. In this way, these individuals will continue to be credited with insurance units, a fact which will contribute to the increase of the institutionalized pension that they will be entitled to in their 65th year of age, while the self-employed will be exempted from the obligation to pay their contributions to SIF during this period.
4. The procedures for completing the applications by companies and the self-employed, which in the first half of the second period had completely suspended their work, while in the second half their work is partially suspended, are clarified with an announcement issued by the Ministry. More specifically, these companies will submit 2 applications (total and partial suspension of work) for the second period, namely from 13/4/2020 to 12/5/2020, depending on the date each company commences work again.

AKEL will continue with its interventions to put pressure on the government ruling forces to improve, as far as possible, the special schemes and for additional measures to be taken in order to alleviate the problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic to salaried workers, the self-employed and businesses.