In the "air" the introduction of a minimum wage in the Republic of Cyprus at a time when the crisis is consolidating -due to the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and beyond - and life is getting more expensive by the day.
The timetables set by the government have long passed and the social dialogue is on ice, [/B]despite the fact that the positions of almost all those responsible for the issue have already been heard. What essentially remains is the political decision for a final consultation in which the level of the minimum wage - which has not yet been put on the table - and the adjustment mechanism for its introduction will be decided.
In our contact with Labour Minister Zeta Aimylianidou, she confirmed that at the moment there is no development on the issue and that no relevant meeting has been set for the next period.
For his part, General Secretary of the BCC Andreas Matsas, told the Cyprus Times that so far nothing has been differentiated, noting that they expect the minister to call a meeting.
Asked what caused this stagnation, Matsas replied that specific timetables were set, then came the crisis and some other open issues that caused this delay, however "it is clear and unambiguous that there is no any backtracking."
At the same time, Mr. Matsas expressed concern that as the days go by and the crisis consolidates, the difficulties in the negotiations are increasing, noting that "it is important to close the issue soon."
In particular, the trade union world is concerned about the possibility of an increase in the unemployment rate, which had decreased and reached 6.4% in January. There is also concern about the possibility of exploitation of this crisis by some employers. In such a case, the trade unions believe that some employers will exert pressure to limit the minimum wage.
[/P]Approximately what will the minimum wage be?
As mentioned in a previous Cyprus Times report, despite the fact that the level of the minimum wage has not been officially put on the table, there is nevertheless pressure for it to reach at least 924 euros. Under the current decree, the minimum wage is currently set at 870 euros upon recruitment and at 924 euros after 6 months of work.
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