Fundamental rights related to social partners

Participants in this session expressed the view that Cyprus had a very strong tradition of social dialogue, with high trade union presence and good interaction between employers' and employee organisations. Social partners were routinely consulted on work-related policies and other relevant areas through mechanisms such as the Labour Advisory Board, the highest consultative body to the Ministry of Labour. Despite the above-average trade union presence in Cyprus, participants pointed to the existence of a paradox as Cyprus also had a low number of workers covered by collective agreements in the private sector. This was particularly true in the case of non-Cypriot workers, 
regardless of whether they came from the EU or from a third country.

It was also pointed out that consultations were sometimes circumvented in that political parties made legislative proposals that were not discussed with trade unions or employers' organisations. Furthermore, social partners also complained that their advice was not sought or followed when it came to the implementation of labour legislation, nor when it came to relevant related legislation such as that concerning corruption or whistle-blower protection.

Participants considered that the implementation of labour legislation remained a weak point in Cyprus, notably because the labour inspection body was not adequately staffed. As a result, measures concerning discrimination, equal pay for men and women, protection of migrant workers in Cyprus, and other pieces of legislation, were not properly enforced.

In 2020, social partners were consulted on the first National Plan for the Integration of Migrants. Participants considered that public policies in that area were desperately needed, as migrants were often abused and exploited. This was partly because they mostly worked in unskilled positions, regardless of their skills and background. There were also reports indicating that public employment offices were dissuading asylum seekers from looking for employment in Cyprus. Participants also mentioned that migrant workers were exposed to hate speech and discrimination in the public space, sometimes even from public officials.

Regarding COVID-19, social partners said that traditional social dialogue had been cast aside during the first part of the pandemic. However, they felt that they had been adequately consulted on a number of aspects such as health measures, financial aid and the recovery and resilience plan. Moreover, social partners indicated that, since July 2021, consultations on labour issues had returned to their pre-pandemic level.