The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General has been challenged to restore reality, President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades said tonight.
In his remarks to journalists, while attending an event to honour health professionals who contributed to the management of the coronavirus pandemic, the President of the Republic, asked to comment on reports in the Turkish Cypriot press that the UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Cyprus, Mr. Colin Stewart blames the Greek Cypriot side for the stalemate on the Cyprus problem, he said that "I do not want to believe that anything like that was said. We will wait until tomorrow, Mr Stewart has been challenged to set the record straight. If something similar was said, the least that could be said is that we are no longer talking about a representative of the UN, but a representative of those who violate international law."
Referring to the panic strike that took place today for the ATA, and to a journalist's remark that several trade unions blamed the Government, the President said that "they blamed the Government for bringing back the institution in 2017 when it was the Government of those who were shouting today that abolished it. At last in this country there is sanity.
It was abolished not under the present government. The present government has reinstated ATA and supports and upholds the right of workers to ATA, but for there to be an agreement there has to be an agreement between employers and workers.
There was a positional divide between employers' organisations and trade unions, which is why it failed. It is not enough for the government to say it supports and phased implementation would be ideal. The other side which is the employers disagree. Therefore, further dialogue is needed. And I do not, in particular, accept that they are lecturing or even shouting. I heard a lady today who was shouting about something that should be apologised to the employees."
(PM/IC)
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