Speaking earlier today at the 10th Pan-Cypriot Conference of SIDIKEK PEO, the General Secretary of PEO, Sotiroulla Charalambous, emphasized that the organisation’s priority this year is to seek increases in Collective Employment Agreements that improve real wages, paying particular attention to starting salaries.
As she pointed out, “in recent years, the Cypriot economy has been growing at high rates,” but “this growth has not led to a reduction in social inequalities. Income distribution remains uneven for workers, while inflation and high interest rates make the situation even more challenging.”
Referring extensively to prolonged inflation, Sotiroulla Charalambous stated that “inflation is decreasing, but high prices and high interest rates persist, depriving households of significant resources.”
She criticised the government, saying that in exercising social policy, “it follows the Anastasiades-DISY policy: one-off grants to certain groups. Social policy is transformed into micro-politics of state philanthropy.”
She added: “Their position simply confirms a reality: that neither this government, nor the previous one, has any inclination to tax windfall profits and proceed with measures for fair income redistribution.”
“Faced with ongoing inflation and the new green taxes that the government has already announced will be imposed,” the General Secretary of PEO said, “there is a need for deeper and broader social policy measures.” She proposed the following:
- Revision of income criteria and amounts for child and single-parent allowances, and student grants.
- Extension of parental leave and allowance up to the 15th year of age.
- Comprehensive programme for the creation of care infrastructure by the state and local authorities.
- Extension of all-day schools to primary and secondary education.
- Multiplication of housing programmes and rental subsidies based on socio-economic criteria.
- Increase of the Minimum Guaranteed Income.
- Resolution of the issue of the 12% penalty for those retiring at 63 and improvement of the return rate of the Social Security Fund, ensuring decent pensions for all.
