Decision of the General Council of the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO) on the parliamentary elections of May 2016
Decision of the General Council of the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO) on the parliamentary elections of May 2016
28th March 2016, Nicosia
The General Council of PEO convened on Monday 28th March 2016 and discussed the issue of the upcoming parliamentary elections, adopting the following decision:
On 22nd May elections are taking place to elect the members of the House of Representatives.
These elections are being held at a particularly critical time for our country and people.
Developments on the Cyprus problem are at a particularly sensitive point. The talks, after the initial unfruitful adventurist policy pursued by President Anastasiades, which instead of strengthening the position of our side, exacerbated it. As a result of the utilization of the convergences that had been achieved between Christofias and Talat an encouraging development began and after some time concrete progress on various aspects of the negotiation was ascertained.
PEO with consistency and devotion supported and supports the inter-communal dialogue as the means to arrive at a solution of the Cyprus problem to reunite our homeland and people and liberate it from the occupation and foreign military presence.
Together with the progressive Turkish Cypriot Trade Union Movement, PEO is playing a leading role in the mobilization of the working people in the struggle for a just, viable and agreed solution that will serve the genuine interests of the Cypriot people as a whole, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, far from any maximalist and nationalist approaches.
With regards developments in the socio-economic sphere, it is obvious that for working people, pensioners, the unemployed and the popular strata in general not only are developments not promising, but precisely the opposite.
The vicious circle of recession, unemployment, poverty and the deterioration of living standards is continuing and intensifying, with no sign of creating any hopes of reversing this situation.
In recent years, working people are facing the anti-social and neo-liberal policies, which have now prevailed in the EU and are being imposed, in one or the other way, on Member States and the peoples of Europe.
These policies, as a result of the agreement of President Anastasiades with the Eurogroup and the Memorandum, were implemented in Cyprus in their most extreme form. Their main characteristic is the reduction of wages, the dismantling of the welfare state and the sell-off in various forms of public wealth and assets. In addition, the steady and continuous growth of social inequality has led to the poor becoming more numerous and poorer and the rich become fewer and richer.
Cyprus in recent years has been recording the biggest fall in wages across the 28 EU countries, while the purchasing power of the average salary in 2016 has fallen to the level it was 20 years ago. According to the most recent figures released by “Eurostat”, Cyprus is currently by far the country with the fastest rate of growing social inequality. Just 8% of total income is distributed to the poorest 20% of the population, while the richest 20% account for 43.1% of total income.
The Memoranda policies, which in moments of honesty the government and ruling forces have admitted represent their own political manifesto, will continue to be implemented even after the termination of the so-called “support” program due to end in March. For this purpose, according to the agreements, the Troika mechanisms will be in Cyprus officially until 2032 to monitor and control so that on the one hand the Cyprus economy and society is to be fully in line with the neoliberal recipes of the EU and the IMF and on the other to pay off the loans
Because of the high and prolonged unemployment, insecurity and fear being experienced by working people, conditions have been created challenging and undermining collective agreements with attacks on working people’s labour and trade union rights intensifying.
The extraordinary Pancyprian Congress of PEO held last December decided that the time has come for a counter-attack policy in the labour and social sphere, with particular emphasis on the restoration of the terms of employment which have deteriorated as a result of special agreements.
Despite the fear and insecurity created by mass unemployment, the working class of Cyprus continues to resist and demand. Fierce struggles are under way for the renewal of collective agreements, with particularly important demands for the working people.
The General Council of PEO notes that in response to the recent mobilizations organized by working people in various sectors and the natural and expected intensification of trade union and social struggles, government officials and various advocates of neo-liberalism, are all appearing with one voice through public statements, aiming to blame working people and demean and denigrate trade union and social demands and struggles.
The General Council of PEO condemns and rejects such references, which, to say the least, poison and undermine the labour relations system.
Particularly worrying are the coordinated statements made by the government, the governing DISY party and the Employers’ Associations to criminalize the right to strike, starting from essential services. Although this issue has been closed since 2004 through a social agreement which has been incorporated in the Industrial Relations Code, nonetheless they are arrogantly bringing back the issue, considering that the conditions as they have now evolved are in their favour.
In these conditions, the upcoming May parliamentary elections assume particular importance for working people.
PEO is not indifferent, nor neutral in this process.
The General Council of PEO decides that it will rally its forces with AKEL – Left – New Forces in this fierce political battle as well.
Support for AKEL – Left – New Forces means supporting the political force that is always struggling firmly, militantly and with consistency to safeguard the interests of workers and the people in general.
The reconfirmation of the political strength and the significant role of AKEL in developments will strengthen the struggle for the liberation and reunification of our country; it will boost the hope for all Cypriots and send to the Turkish Cypriot workers a message of rapprochement and genuine desire for a common, secure and progressive future for all the people of Cyprus.
On the issues affecting society and the economy, the political balance of forces need to change in order to change the policies being implemented.
A vote for AKEL – Left – New Forces means the rejection and condemnation of the vicious anti-social and anti-worker policies and austerity measures being pursued by the Anastasiades-DISY party Government and the strengthening of the struggle for a progressive economic policy for growth that will create quality jobs and distribute the generated wealth in a fairer and socially balanced way.
The General Council of PEO calls on the militants of the Federation and all the collective bodies of PEO, from the General Council to the Local Committees, to work actively for the enlightenment of working people and to ensure the greatest possible electoral support for the electoral candidate list of AKEL-Left-New Forces.
