A staggering 44 per cent of workers would consider moving to another country for better pay, Sek trade union said this week.
Presenting the findings of a survey it commissioned, Sek general secretary Andreas Matsas said 23 per cent of workers were finding it hard to make ends meet and had to borrow money every month to buy the basics.
The findings “are depressing”, Matsas said.
“When 44 per cent of workers are ready to emigrate, of which 61 per cent are young people, you see the prospect of the next day for the working people,” he added.
He said Sek was calling for the immediate convening of all bodies that could improve the minimum wage and linking it with the cost-of-living allowance (CoLA) to cover the inflationary losses diminishing the adequacy of salaries.
“We call for the immediate restoration of CoLA for everyone,” he said.
Matsas said Sek also aimed at expanding the coverage of collective agreements, to include all workers.
He said it was also necessary to reform the pension system, so that no retiree was living under the poverty line.
Matsas said Sek had clear positions and proposals for all issues and would not back down, as the survey proved them right.
The survey was carried out by IMR/Nicosia University.
It showed that 75 per cent of workers were not satisfied with their wages, 62 per cent found it hard to meet their financial obligations and just 7 per cent said they lived comfortably with their income.
Furthermore, 70 per cent were insecure about their financial situation, 74 per cent could not save money or cover unforeseen expenses and the majority were being paid less than the average wage.
Despite the fact that wages had improved, 61 per cent said they did not enjoy a good quality of life.
Of those asked, 98 per cent were worried about the national minimum wage, as it wasn’t deemed adequate. The survey showed that 24 per cent of workers were receiving the minimum wage, while 13 per cent were being paid less than the minimum.
The survey also indicated that 17 per cent of workers found their working hours had increased with the implementation of legislation on the minimum wage, despite the fact that 77 per cent of businesses had not reported a negative impact from the implementation of the minimum wage.
Within the workforce, 68 per cent said there was discrimination in remuneration, with women and younger workers being more vulnerable.
From the employers’ side, 95 per cent said wages were an important factor in choosing a job, while 57 per cent said they did not provide competitive salaries.
Matsas said the survey highlighted the necessity for a structured strategy on labour relations and in general social policy.
Meanwhile, Sek rejected the “neoliberal approaches of the IMF”, saying that these views were being repeatedly brought up. “This approach was not adopted in a period of financial crisis and will certainly not be adopted now,” the trade union said.
Sek said that the competitiveness of the economy was not being threatened by CoLA or salary increases, but by the erosion of wages due to inflation, profiteering, low productivity – with the employers and state being responsible for this – and the cost of electricity.
The trade union, which reported having surpassed 50,000 members, also said that the impact of the economic war launched by US President Donald Trump should not fall on the workers’ shoulders.
Via Cyprus Mail