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Labour
In 1999 the
island%26rsquo;s Economically Active Population
was estimated at 314.400 persons. During the same
year the Gainfully Employed Population in Cyprus
averaged 290.900 persons, as against 287.000 in
1998. Wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and
hotels absorb the largest part of the gainfully
employed population (78.700 or 27,2%) followed by
community, social and personal services (73.400
or 25,8%) and manufacturing (38.300 persons or
13,2%).
Registered
unemployment increased to 11.375 persons or 3.6%
of the economically active population in 1999,
from 10.412 persons or 3,4% in 1998. Of the total
number of those registered as unemployed in 1999,
5.795 or 50% were women; persons under the age of
30 numbered 2.665 or 23.4% of unemployment;
newcomers into labour amounted to 579 or 5,1% of
those registered as unemployed; 2.109 persons or
18,5% of the total unemployed were
college/university graduates. Of the total number
of graduates of higher education for 1999, 71,9%
were unemployed up to six months, 19.7% were
unemployed for six to twelve months and 8,4% were
unemployed for more than twelve
months.
The number of
vacancies notified at the District Labour Offices
in 1999 totalled 12.121 as against 13.232 in
1998.
According to the
latest available data kept by the Department of
Social Insurance, the number of foreign workers
legally working in Cyprus on 15.10.200 was
estimated to be 27.700 or 9,3% of the gainfully
employed population.
Employment of
Cypriots abroad on a temporary basis - a measure
taken to combat the massive unemployment problem
created as a result of the Turkish invasion in
Cyprus - remains low, about 2.825 persons in 1997
and 2.800 persons in 1996 as against 8.700
persons in 1987. The main host countries of
Cypriot workers were Greece and the Arab
countries.
Industrial
Relations
Government policy in
the field of industrial relations aims to the
sound industrial relations and the maintenance of
industrial peace. Among the targets of the
government in this field are the
following:
%26bull; the
safeguarding of the freedom of
association;
%26bull; the
encouragement of the growth of strong worker and
employer organisations, and the fostering of
tripartite cooperation;
%26bull; the
promotion of free collective bargaining as the
main method for determining terms and conditions
of employment;
%26bull; the
provision of assistance for the prevention and
settlement of labour disputes, within the
interests of the public as a whole,
and
%26bull; the
protection of vulnerable groups of workers
(mainly non unionised), by determining their
basic conditions of employment through
legislation.
It is widely
recognised that since the establishment of the
Republic of Cyprus, industrial relations in
Cyprus have been quite satisfactory, due to the
high sense of responsibility shown by both trade
unions and employer associations in facing labour
problems. This cooperation and understanding
became particularly evident during the period
following the Turkish invasion in 1974. Cyprus is
considered to be a country of peaceful labour
relations.
The percentage of
workdays lost because of strikes is very low
compared to international figures.
The Industrial
Relations Service of the Ministry of Labour and
Social Insurance provides mediation assistance to
trade unions and employer associations for the
prevention and settlement of labour disputes, in
accordance with the law and the Industrial
Relations Code.
The more usual form
of mediation provided by the Service, however, is
intervention in the dispute after direct
negotiations have reached a deadlock and the two
sides have formally asked for mediation. The
Service mediates in about 350 such cases
annually, about 90% of which are resolved without
a strike.
Although mediation
has become practically the only way of providing
aid for the resolution of disputes, the two sides
may still resort to arbitration, directly or
after mediation. According to the Industrial
Relations Code, arbitration as a last resort is
mandatory in the case of disputes over rights. If
a dispute is submitted to arbitration the
Industrial Relations Service sees that a mutually
accepted arbitrator is appointed and assists him
or her by providing facilities and
information.
During the last few
years, due to the effort of Cyprus to harmonise
its laws with those of the European Union, and in
view of the increasing restructuring of
enterprises, labour relations have been more
closely monitored by the government and the
social partners. Thus, additional legislation has
been introduced, in order to improve the
regulation of individual and collective labour
relations, and in order to protect workers more
effectively.
Industrial
Pollution Control
Industrial Pollution
Control is realised, inter alia, through the
enforcement of the Laws on the Control of
Pollution of the Atmosphere and the Control of
Pollution of the Waters which have been fully
operable since 1993. Within this context, the
Action Plan for the Environment, which was
approved by the Council of Ministers in 1990,
continued to be implemented through the
enforcement of the above legislation. Through the
licensing procedure established by the said Laws,
several applications from various factories
discharging liquid and or gaseous effluents were
examined and the conditions for the discharge
were set in the permits which were issued.
Specifically, discharge permits were granted to
most of the factories that opted to discharge
their effluents to the recently constructed
Vathia Gonia Central Treatment Station for
industrial and municipal waste waters. For this
as well as for inspection purposes, the
environmental pollution inspectors carried out a
number of measurements of industrial
effluents.
It is to be noted
that the Ministerial Committee for the Industrial
Pollution Control is regularly informed on the
progress towards the implementation of the Action
Plan and the enforcement of
legislation.
A project funded by
the LIFE Third Countries Program of the European
Union on Industrial Pollution Control is in
progress. The Ministry of Labour and Social
Insurance is carrying out this project on behalf
of the government of Cyprus and in close
cooperation with the National Technical
University of Athens. The main aims of the
project are:
%26bull;
establishment of integrated systems for chemical
substances control and for industrial emissions
and emissions of volatile organic compounds
control;
%26bull; development
of tools related to best available techniques for
the implementation of EU Directive for Integrated
Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC);
%26bull; drafting of
the necessary legislation in the field of
industrial pollution control so as to be in line
with the European acquis, and
%26bull; formulation
of a plan for continuous integrated
monitoring.
Ambient air quality
measurements for the monitoring and control of
air pollution in Nicosia are carried out by three
fully equipped mobile units. Another mobile unit
for measuring background levels for the purpose
of monitoring the transboundary air pollution is
in operation since October 1996. The latter
measurements are carried out within the framework
of the European Monitoring and Evaluation
Programme (EMEP).
From the continuous
measurements of the most significant ambient air
pollutants at different places in Nicosia, it was
concluded that the pollution in these areas are
within the quality objectives of Cyprus and below
the limits set in the EC Directives and other
international standards.
Social
Policy
The importance of an
effective social services system has been
especially apparent in Cyprus since the Turkish
invasion and military occupation of 1974. The
uprooting of a third of the population created
many social problems and increased dependence of
vulnerable groups on the state. Initially
Government spending focused on meeting the basic
survival requirements of refugees and others
through cash grants and aid in kind. Since then
it has gradually moved towards providing
long-term housing services, free secondary
education, health services, and a wage-related
social insurance scheme, scholarships and loans
for needy students to study abroad,
infrastructural buildings such as new schools,
hospitals and various welfare institutions such
as old peoples%26rsquo; homes, geriatric centres,
community welfare centres, children%26rsquo;s and
youth homes, hostels and day-care
centres.
The basic objectives
of government social policy are:
(1) To secure a
minimum acceptable standard of living for all
citizens, especially for those who do not
participate, or participate to a limited extent,
in the productive process.
(2) The attainment
of a more equitable distribution of the national
income and the tax burden, both between different
income groups as well as regions. Special
emphasis is attached to improving the income
position of the refugees.
(3) To implement and
improve existing social programmes while
preparing the introduction of new institutions,
programmes and schemes aiming at the steady
improvement of the social services so as to
respond effectively to the expectations of those
in real need. |
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