They are still “surprisingly employed on consecutive fixed-term contracts” the Syntechnia states in its announcement
In a letter sent to the Director General of the Ministry of the Interior and to the Prefects, the Pancypriot Trade Union EQUALITY requests the necessary actions, in order for the Republic of Cyprus to comply with the provisions of the Directive and its harmonizing Law regarding employment practices.
In its letter, EQUALITY refers to a lack of compliance with the provisions of the Directive and its harmonizing Law regarding employment practices, which includes lifeguards who, although they have been recognized, by the relevant employer authorities, as permanent employees, are still “surprisingly employed with successive fixed-term contracts”, which are renewed at regular intervals, after the workers in question have submitted to a sports test and after a period of a few months of work stoppage, during which they themselves apply for and receive unemployment benefits and lifeguards the who, although they are hired for the purpose of covering permanent and permanent service needs, are employed with consecutive fixed-term contracts.
Calls on the competent authority to proceed without further delay, to examine this very serious issue, which concerns a violation labor rights of hundreds of workers – Union members and non-union members, causing them great anxiety and stress and serious concern and suffering due to lack of job stability.
It also calls for all necessary measures to be taken, including actions and initiatives of a regulatory nature, for the purpose of eliminating and ending illegal and abusive provisions/regulations/practices, for full and substantial compliance of the Republic of Cyprus with this Directive.
It is noted that the letter has been communicated to the Minister of Labor and Social Insurance, due to his capacity as the competent authority for the implementation of Law 98(I)/2003 and he is requested to guide the competent authorities, so that there is compliance with the Law.
Also, the letter has been communicated to the President and Members of the Parliamentary Labor Committee, with the request to register and discuss the matter in its session.
In its letter, EQUALITY refers at length to the directive's preamble, which explains that “the signatory parties wished to conclude a framework agreement on fixed-term work, which would delete the general principles and minimum requirements for fixed-term employment contracts and employment relationships and have shown their desire to improve the quality of fixed-term work by ensuring the application of the principle of non-discrimination, as well as to establish a framework to prevent abuse arising from successive employment relationships or fixed-term contracts”.
The framework agreement, notes EQUALITY in its letter, defines the general principles and minimum requirements regarding fixed-term work, recognizing that the details of implementation must take into account the facts of the specific national, sectoral and seasonal situations.
In addition, it states that this agreement highlights the will of the social partners to establish a general framework to ensure equal treatment of workers with fixed-term contracts, protecting them from discrimination, as well as for the use of fixed-term contracts on a basis of acceptance by employers and employees.
