Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou on Tuesday visited the construction site for the University of Cyprus’ new Medical School, as part of activities for the European Week for Safety and Health at Work.

The purpose of the visit was to raise awareness on health and safety issues in the workplace, with emphasis on the importance of consultation, the operation of safety committees, and the use of a SafePass in the construction sector.

The minister discussed issues related to the safety, health and welfare of workers, as well as issues of sustainable business development.

“All this development, all the buildings we see around us, were erected by builders and contractors who must follow the rules consistently to do so in safety,” he said, adding that “Our visit today aims to underline the importance that the government attaches to the observance of safety and health rules”.

The more consistent we are in following the rules, the more we protect our people, so they can go to work safely and return home healthy and fit, Panayiotou said.

“I believe that through our cooperation we will achieve a further upgrade of the safety and health conditions in workplaces and especially in the areas of the construction sector”.

He also said that the recent renewal of the construction sector’s collective agreement until 2027 was “instrumental” in keeping labour relations working smoothly and stably, and ensuring “sites are running, workers are working, and the economy is growing”.

Meanwhile, the director of the labour inspection department Aristos Economides said that a goal has been set to lower fatal occupational accidents to zero by 2027.

“It is an ambitious goal, which we can achieve with the cooperation of all social partners,” he said, stressing that “we have intensified our efforts and increased inspections while promoting health and safety”.