AKEL C.C. Press Office, 10th February 2020, Nicosia
The President of DISY spoke today about the study released by the Statistical Service showing a 2.5% growth in average gross salary. Of course, to have an objective picture of the reality that the working people of Cyprus are actually living, one must ask the following:
- Why after 5 years of continuous growth does the share of wages in the GDP continue to be 7% lower than it was before the crisis, while business profits are increasing, both numerically and in percentage terms? Why did Cyprus suffer the biggest – after Greece – cuts in wages of all EU countries?
- Why has the number of working poor in Cyprus increased, that is, people who, although working, are paid so low that they are below the poverty line?
- What is left for the average working person and average family in Cyprus to live with dignity when our country tops the table across the EU in the steepness in the price of essential commodities and when rents, fuels and electricity are increasing?
The truth is that wealth is indeed being produced and accumulated in the Cyprus economy. But that wealth goes in the pockets of a few big employers and businessmen who have emerged from the crisis richer, together with the dismantling of labour relations.
The proposals submitted by AKEL for the safeguarding of collective agreements so that all working people are covered with minimum working conditions, in order to stamp out false self-employment and the purchase of services are there and waiting to be backed by anyone who genuinely wants to improve working people’s living and working conditions in Cyprus.
But when just the day before yesterday, governing DISY, satisfying the demand of big employers and insurance companies, voted against the universal coverage of working people by providence funds where these operate as DISY has essentially undermined the Labour Inspection Act that will impose penalties on employers who violate labour law, one wonders when has the DISY President become concerned about our country’s working people and how sincere this concern actually is?
