The procedures for revising the national minimum wage are entering their final stages, with the relevant decree set to be issued before Christmas and take effect from January 1, as reiterated in public statements by the Minister of Labour, Yiannis Panagiotou.
Minister Panagiotou has consistently implied that there will be an increase in the national minimum wage without specifying any particular amount.
Social partners, including employers’ organizations, are also in favour of an increase, albeit to a lesser extent than trade unions. The next revision of the national minimum wage is scheduled for two years from now.
Given the above, the issue of the national minimum wage tops the agenda for tomorrow’s session of the Labour Advisory Body, as disclosed by the Ministry of Labour a short while ago.
According to the agenda, the second item to be discussed tomorrow essentially concerns the employment of foreign workers.
Recently, there have been continuous pressures on the Ministry of Labour from employer organizations and economic sectors to facilitate the licensing of foreign labour to meet labour market demand.
Based on what has been disclosed, the following topics will be discussed regarding the employment of third-country nationals:
- Strategy for Employing a Foreign Labour Force.
- Employment of third-country nationals residing in the Republic as students.
- Management of migration flows and the labour market.
The session of the Labour Advisory Body will commence at 1:00 pm and is expected to last until at least 4:00 pm, as statements from the Minister are already scheduled for 4:30 pm.
