House committee examines complaints over illegal worker hiring practices

Nicosia, Cyprus. The House labour committee discussed complaints that workers are being hired through temporary employment agencies in practices alleged to be illegal and linked to exploitation, including in the construction and tourism sectors.

Committee discussion

House labour committee chairman and Disy MP Giorgos Koukoumas said the discussion was initiated by Akel following complaints from trade unions over the extensive use of hiring practices that are explicitly prohibited by law.

He said the practice was undermining labour relations, circumventing collective agreements, creating two-tier workers and worsening existing problems concerning the employment of foreign workers.

Koukoumas said unions had reported cases involving what he described as “some baptised employers” who transport workers by bus or van to workplaces, construction sites and other locations, where they work under degrading conditions and for very low pay.

Requests for enforcement data

Koukoumas said the relevant labour ministry department had acknowledged that such cases exist. The committee expects information on whether sanctions or criminal proceedings have followed, he added.

He also questioned why a bill concerning the liability of main contractors in the construction sector had not yet been submitted to parliament, saying it was needed to close legal loopholes in such cases.

The committee would continue to pursue the issue, he said, describing the practice as blatantly anti-labour and illegal.

Call for inspections

Disy MP Andreas Constantinou said the complaints pointed to a worrying phenomenon and called for inspections to clearly distinguish between the legitimate provision of services and the unlawful supply of workers through employment agencies.

He said that if the process identifies gaps in existing legislation, parliament is ready to examine the necessary regulations to ensure a clear and effectively enforced framework and prevent what he described as a modern slave trade.

The complaints follow warnings issued last month by hotel sector unions, when Sek secretary-general Michalis Frangou described conditions in parts of the industry as a “slave market.”