The government meets the employers’ demands who want foreign workers as cheap labour

 

2 February 2024, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The Christodoulides government is continuing the policy that was pursued by the Anastasiades-DISY government on the employment of foreign workers, a policy seeking to satisfy employers’ demands. It is no coincidence that the trade union movement as a whole is reacting to the government’s policy. This was also confirmed by President Christodoulides’ recent statements.

The government is bypassing the mechanisms scrutinizing foreign workers’ work permits and relaxing the criteria and procedures, not interested whether collective labour agreements are being applied and whether the living conditions of these workers are minimally humane. In essence, the demands of a section of employers who want foreign workers as cheap labour to be used as a tool for undermining labour relations and collective agreements in our country as a whole are being met.

AKEL calls on the government to honour its commitment to re-discuss the strategy of employing foreign labour and to listen to workers and trade union movement.

AKEL joins its voice with the trade union movement to defend collective labour agreements, transparency and strict criteria in granting permits, dignified working conditions for every worker in our country, whether Cypriot or foreign.

 

02.02.2024