The labour inspection department issued 17 fines and 17 warnings in October to undeclared employers and workers in the education sector, the labour ministry said on Tuesday.

According to a written statement, inspections were held throughout October, aiming to identify and combat undeclared labour, and ensure compliance with basic labour legislation.

The campaign focused on education, with 220 checks carried out islandwide, identifying 104 employers and 116 self-employed workers.

In total, 429 people were inspected, of whom 64 were men and 365 women. Most of them, 387, were Greek Cypriot, 32 were European citizens, and 10 came from third countries.

The labour inspection department identified six undeclared self-employed people, one undeclared employer, and 15 undeclared contracted workers.

As a result, it issued 17 warnings and 17 fines amounting to €14,600.

The purpose of the campaign was to raise the awareness of all those employed in these economic activities regarding the consequences of undeclared work and non-compliance with the provisions of the relevant legislation, the ministry said.

According to the provisions of the legislation, if an undeclared person is detected in the social insurance fund, an administrative fine of €500 multiplied by seven months is issued, unless the employer can prove the period of violation was shorter.

If it is determined that it was longer, the fine is multiplied by the actual months.

The ministry also reminded that anonymous/named complaints/information in relation to undeclared work or violation of employment conditions are accepted on 77778577.