There continue to be differences in the approaches between the employers' side and the trade union movement on the issue of setting the minimum wage, said Labour Minister, Kyriakos Kousios, who will continue the cycle of meetings with the social partners. The minister's statements came after the end of the meeting with the guilds SEK, PEO and DEOK at the Labour Ministry on Tuesday on the national minimum wage.
Initially, Kousios said that there continue to be differences in approaches between the employers' side and the trade union movement, adding that he will continue private contacts with the guilds in the coming days. His aim, he said, is to submit the Labour Ministry's reports to a joint meeting of the employers' side and the trade union movement by the end of the month and then to present its positions to the President of the Republic for decisions to be taken.
"So efforts are continuing but I will stress again that it is the political decision and will of the President of the Republic to establish and implement a national minimum wage. Despite any different approaches, in the end the political will of the President of the Republic will be translated into a decision to establish a national minimum wage."
In response to a question whether there is common ground between the two sides, Mr. Kousios indicated that it has been agreed not to make statements on these issues, clarifying that statements will be made at the last joint meeting of the parties concerned.
Asked if there are more differences than convergences and if there is a big gap between the two sides, the Labour Minister said that "it is a matter of substance. The effort of the Ministry of Labour is to have as many convergences as possible."
In response to a question whether there is a reason for holding the joint meeting, given the differences between employers and trade unions, Kousios pointed out that the exchange of views helps to better understand the positions of both sides, describing the climate in which the discussion is taking place as "very friendly". He added that "it is utopian to expect that there will be agreement on all issues, we will shake hands and congratulate each other. What is important is to get to the point where the convergences are such that it gives us the opportunity with a lot of pride for all of us involved in this effort to say that we have succeeded in establishing a national minimum wage that will be implemented for the benefit of employers."
In response to another question, the Labour Minister explained that his effort is to reconcile views, but at the end of the day, it is the Government that will make the decision and the President of the Republic who has decided that there should be a national minimum wage. "The effort is to converge views as much as possible because there can be no agreement. The decree will be issued with certainty, regardless of differences," he said.
In addition, Kousios said he will deliver his report by the end of August to the President of the Republic, who will make his decisions and give instructions.
Asked about the timing of the joint meeting, he said that it is most likely to take place at the end of the month, because the PEC Secretary General will be absent until the end of the month "and we would not want anyone to be absent from the meeting".
Guilds' positions
Andreas Matsas, General Secretary of the PEC in his own statements after the meeting, referred to "issues that need further discussion", stressing that the SBC will maintain "the same consistency in terms of principled positions with a specific vision and a horizon of real and substantial support for the group of workers expected to benefit from the minimum wage". He expressed the hope that at the next meeting further conditions for a conclusion could be created. "We are holding on to those visions that lead us with steady steps towards dignity, linking this element with the quality that must characterize the final arrangement concerning the establishment of the national minimum wage," he added.
In response to a question on the extent of the differences between the two sides, he explained that it is not a matter of differences, but a matter of arrangements that can be helpful to the group of workers expected to benefit.
For her part, Sotiroula Charalambous, General Secretary of the PEA, stressed that "there are important issues that need further discussion because there is a distance between us and we need to be honest with society and those who expect from this discussion."
Furthermore, she said that the minimum wage discussion should focus on two main issues. The first is "who we want the minimum wage to cover and why we need it, so the framework that is set should be one that improves the employment framework for those workers who are not covered by collective agreements," he explained. The second issue, Charalambous continued, is that the minimum wage mechanism should not act as a mechanism that causes further difficulties for the part of workers covered by collective agreements. "These two issues are matters of principle," she indicated, adding that these parameters will determine the decisions that the government will take.
Asked if there are any red lines, the PEA General Secretary said that the issue is "why we need the minimum wage, who we want to support, taking care that the process does not pose risks to the framework of industrial relations and the way wages and benefits are regulated in our country." This regulatory framework, he added, must also be strengthened on the basis of the European Union directive, which must be taken into account in the debate on the minimum wage. "There is also a numerical target, which is 80%," he said."
Stelios Christodoulou, Deputy President of the IOC
, said that "we are trying to give a safety net to all those working citizens who need it. He added that "there are issues of principle, which we are trying to substantiate with arguments and we hope that when this process is completed, we will all be winners, especially those who really need it." He further expressed hope that the workers would find solutions to issues related to basic terms and conditions of employment, especially a decent working wage
Source: CNA
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
