Hotel unions seek action over agency-supplied third-country workers

Nicosia, Cyprus. Hotel unions have warned they may take further action over the alleged use of third-country workers supplied through labour agencies, saying the practice undermines labour protections across the industry.

SEK and PEO have called on the labour ministry to intervene after raising concerns that hotels are receiving workers through temporary employment companies and other intermediaries.

Union concerns

The issue is expected to be raised with the labour minister following a meeting with the labour department earlier this month and a letter sent to the labour relations department.

SEK secretary-general Michalis Frangou said some hotels were obtaining workers from agencies that had recruited third-country nationals for other sectors, creating what he described as “two-speed employees”.

He said hotels had been turning to agencies when they urgently needed staff, paying the intermediary rather than employing workers directly under the sector’s established terms. He described the situation as a “slave market”.

Calls for inspections

PEO hotel workers’ secretary-general Neophytos Timinis said the practice was not confined to isolated cases and had previously been reported in hotels, particularly in Ayia Napa and Paphos.

“These employees are paid by the hour, without any application of the collective agreement and without benefits,” Timinis said.

The unions have asked the ministry to conduct targeted inspections of companies supplying workers and the hotels using their services, and to impose sanctions where violations are found.

Timinis called for more inspections and said the unions would consider further measures in September if authorities did not address the issue.