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Cyprus President says he won’t intervene in CoLA dispute

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President Anastasiades has made clear he won’t intervene in the thorny Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) dispute because he doesn’t want to commit the government to be elected next month in any new agreement.

At the same time, on Thursday he called on trade unions to avert a nationwide strike called for next week in demand of the full restoration of CoLA.

The President sent out the message that only the economy will suffer a blow from the imminent strike action.

Public and private employees will hold a three-hour work stoppage on Thursday after discussions with employers’ organisations and Labour Minister Kyriacos Koushos over CoLA ended in an impasse.

The President’s statement seems to have upset the trade union movement with insiders saying it is contradictory with what the Minister had pledged.

That is, the government would be trying – till the last day in power – to find a consensual solution to the CoLA issue.

The Government as an employer would also be affected by any new agreement on CoLA since it would put a burden on the state payroll as well.

Particularly if it was decided to increase the 50% of the ATA to be given at the end of January to all those who benefit from the institution – the public and semi-public sector included.

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