Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ main state sector trade unions on Wednesday signed an agreement to establish a joint coordinating body, aiming to strengthen their collective voice on key labour issues, Pasydy said.
Agreement signed in Nicosia
The agreement was signed at a meeting at Pasydy’s headquarters in Nicosia, bringing together the civil servants’ union with other major public sector organisations.
Pasydy president Stratis Mattheou described the day as “historic”, saying the organisations were joining forces to safeguard their “guaranteed rights”. He said cooperation among state sector trade unions was being placed on an institutionalised basis and that the organisations would work together and offer mutual support on horizontal professional issues.
Mattheou referred to previous cooperation on pensions and CoLA, which he said had produced a positive outcome, and said he hoped the cooperation would be further strengthened in the interest of workers across the country.
Members and participating associations
According to a Pasydy announcement, the coordinating body includes Pasydy, Poed, Oelmek and Oltek, as well as the associations of senior police officers, the Cyprus police and the Cyprus firefighters.
The Cyprus army officers’ associations and the Cyprus army non-commissioned officers’ associations will also cooperate with the body.
Purpose and areas of focus
Pasydy said the primary purpose of establishing the new body is to institutionalise cooperation between state sector organisations and associations on a planned and coordinated basis, with the aim of formulating common policy and promoting collective action on issues of general professional interest, including tax and pension reform.
The body will also facilitate mutual support through the exchange of views and coordinated action on labour issues affecting members of each organisation, Pasydy said. The organisations said their main objective is to strengthen the coordinated presence of state sector trade union organisations through the operation of the coordinating body.
How do you think a joint coordinating body could affect negotiations on tax and pension reform in Cyprus?
