Call for labour compensation fund

The House labour committee on Tuesday discussed the need for the government to set up a labour compensation fund.

“We have sent a request to the labour minister, to determine his ministry’s intentions for the creation of a workers’ compensation insurance fund, and at the same time to contribute to the creation of a legislative framework surrounding such a fund,” Edek deputy Elias Myrianthous said after the session.

He told reporters that the committee is waiting for the government’s answers, and in the meantime will see “how we can help promote the specific insurance fund”.

Myrianthous went on to explain that a relevant bill had passed in 1989 which provided for the creation of this particular fund, which would be similar to the fund of motor vehicle insurers, which compensates uninsured drivers in case they commit any accidents.

He added that the same is happening today to employers without employer’s liability insurance, or those who had it but their insurance companies went bankrupt. The result is that in case of work accidents, these people are not compensated resulting in huge social problems.

Myrianthous cited as an example a case where an employee becomes disabled due to a work accident and goes to court, where a decision is ruled in their favour.

“They receive compensation, and unfortunately – either because of their employer’s financial difficulties or because the insurance company has gone bankrupt – in the end, this person with health issues is never actually compensated, and their whole family falls victim to this situation”.