In a one-hour work stoppage, employees at RIK will walk out from 13:30 to 14:30, protesting the non-payment of March salaries.
In a statement, the General Secretary of SIDIKEK-PEO, Nikos Gregoriou, said that according to legislation, employees should be paid on the last day of the month.
“This hasn’t been achieved, and you understand this creates a heap of issues. Employees are heads of families, people with loans, obligations, who are vulnerable and depend on their salary to meet their commitments,” he stated.
We, the larger unions, had announced more significant measures, he continued, but after yesterday’s official briefing from the Administrative Board about the actions taken, and our involvement as SIDIKEK-PEO and OHO-SEK, and consultations with the Ministers of Interior, Finance, and Labour, we realized that a considerable effort was made by all.
If salaries weren’t paid, he noted, it’s because there are technical processes involving the banks that couldn’t be bypassed.
However, he added, the employees decided to hold a one-hour work stoppage today from 13:30 to 14:30 at RIK to send the message that it’s unacceptable for the last day to arrive, and there’s doubt about whether they will be paid, as well as addressing other issues within RIK.
“If the salaries are not paid by Tuesday, the measures will escalate, but according to the assurances we’ve received, we’re satisfied that the salaries will be paid,” he pointed out.
On his part, Andreas Iliya of OHO-SEK said the reasons for the non-payment of March salaries are due to delays in approving RIK’s budget, which was only passed by the House of Representatives yesterday.
Additionally, the issue of compensations for Eudokia Loizou, an RIK employee facing health problems, has arisen. Her lawyer has frozen RIK’s accounts until the compensation is paid.
