Govt close to renewing collective agreements

The government is ready to strike a deal renewing collective agreements, Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou said on Friday after a meeting at Eurogate Container Terminal at Limassol’s port.

Attending the meeting were the port operators, representatives of Cyprus’ chamber of commerce (Keve), the employers’ association (Oev) and the association of shipping agents.

Limassol’s port plays a key role in the Cypriot economy and as such, it is important to ensure stable labour relations, Panayiotou underlined.

“By visiting workplaces where human resources play a key role, we can build a more complete picture, discussing with both employers and employees, so that whenever our input is needed, it is done in an appropriate, informed and thorough way.”

The practice in Cyprus in the context of social dialogue is determined by the provisions of the industrial relations code, Panayiotou stressed when asked about the possibility of the labour ministry mediating for the renewal of collective agreements.

The code dictates that when disputes arise after attempts to reach an agreement between two sides in the workplace, they are submitted to the labour ministry.

They are initially dealt with at a bureaucratic level, and then at a political level where necessary, he added.

“If our contribution is needed so that the agreement on renewing the pending collective agreements can be reached, we will be able to help with this as well,” Panayiotou emphasised.