Philenews ranked as the top story in terms of readability yesterday’s Sunday report by Evagoras Procopiou in Phileleftheros titled “Ergani II is coming for control of working hours, wages, and employment terms.”
The fact that this report garnered so much attention clearly indicates the interest of thousands of website readers.
And to attract such interest, it probably means that what the report “promises” (control of working hours, wages, and employment terms) is not currently guaranteed. At least not to the extent desired by workers, or not for all workers.
The readability of the report regarding the intention of the Ministry of Labor (under both the current and previous administrations) to implement Ergani II in Cyprus, the electronic system from Greece that allows reliable monitoring and control of the labor market, is a clear indication that monitoring and control are lacking at present.
It may also be a refutation of the position expressed at times with certainty by the relevant ministry and other entities in the public and private sectors that labor laws are strictly enforced and that employment terms, benefits, wages, overtime, and workplace conditions are all compliant with legislation.
And there are inspections, penalties are imposed – because “there are always exceptions of bad employers,” as is often said – and everything runs smoothly.
If everything were fine, the Ministry of Labor would not feel the need to use Ergani II to obligate employers to declare the exact terms of their employees’ employment, whether they are currently being hired or were hired years ago, under different conditions and legal or contractual obligations.
Ergani II will hopefully be introduced and utilized precisely because much of the labor market currently operates under deregulation, employer flexibility misconstrued, implementation of contractual or other obligations as convenient, and of course, the overexploitation of local and foreign labor.
Let us not be carried away by enthusiasm for the intention to use Ergani II in Cyprus. Intention still prevails.
Will it become action? Or will this commitment also get stuck in the gears of bureaucracy, and time passes without seeing Ergani II and the electronic employment card?
And because legislation will be needed to make Ergani II operational as a labor market monitoring system, will it take years for the bill to be prepared, undergo legal review, and be submitted to the Parliament?
And how long will the Parliament need to consult with social partners to pass it into law?
And if the electronic monitoring system of the employment conditions of each employee is enshrined in law, will it be effectively utilized by the Ministry of Labor to penalize those who do not comply with what they declare in the electronic system?
Will the disparity between written employment terms and actual conditions be monitored and highlighted?
Will anyone be held accountable for not adhering to what they input into the electronic system?
Is it possible for legality to prevail in the labor market simply because Ergani II, or Ergani III, or Ergani IV will function?
We have serious reservations, but we will await the next step from the Ministry of Labor.
