197 checks in January in clampdown on undeclared work

Inspectors carried out checks at 197 premises in January as part of a labour ministry drive against undeclared labour, finding five undeclared workers and issuing two fines of €5,000, the ministry said in an announcement on Wednesday.

The checks were carried out islandwide in industrial areas and zones. A total of 197 premises where checked, where inspectors found 149 employers and 48 self-employed individuals. The total number of employees was 413 – 347 men and 66 women. The ministry said that of the 413 workers, 290 were Greek Cypriots, 75 EU citizens, 45 third country nationals and three Turkish Cypriots.

Five salaried employees were found not to have been declared to the social insurance office. Five notifications were issued and two fines of €5,000, the ministry added.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the consequences of undeclared work and non-compliance with the relevant law.

Under the law, in cases where an individual has not been declared to social insurance, the €500 fine is multiplied by seven months unless the employer can prove that the violation was of shorter duration. If the violation is found to be longer, the fine is multiplied by the actual months, the ministry added.

It reminded the public that it can report information regarding cases of undeclared work or violations of labour terms on telephone 77778577. Reports can also be submitted anonymously, it said.