Central government workers union Pasydy asked the finance minister on Thursday to speed up procedures to fill vacant positions, because delays affected the smooth operation of the civil service and its effectiveness.

In a meeting with Constantinos Petrides and ministry permanent secretary Giorgos Pandelis, Pasydy asked for the law to be amended so that vacant positions can be filled immediately instead of needing parliamentary approval.

The freeze on recruitment was part of an austerity drive introduced some eight years ago, as Cyprus teetered on the brink of economic collapse.

According to a union statement, Pasydy expressed its strong concern “over the delay observed in filling vacant entry level and promotion positions because of the bureaucratic and extremely time-consuming process needed to unfreeze the positions, something which has a negative impact on the smooth operation and the effectiveness of the civil service.”

The union also raised the matter of restoring allowances and overtime pay at pre-2013 levels. The two sides agreed to launch a dialogue on the same grounds as the agreement to gradually restore pay cuts.

The minister also expressed readiness to discuss ways to resolve the issue of open contract workers whose status the union wants to change to permanent.

The sides also agreed on the need for civil service reform to be able to better respond to contemporary demands and provide quality and effective service.