Labour peace is hanging by a thread over the stalled CoLa unions and employers negotiations and a government initiative was under way this morning in an effort to secure an initial deal, before a pan-union this afternoon was likely to decide on further industrial action if there wasn’t ‘anything other put forward than promises’, as SEK General Secretary Andreas Matsas put it on the CyBC noon current affairs programme.
Matsas disclosed that ‘a lot was happening backstage’ towards grinding down the deadlock and reaching an agreement, while Employers and Industrialists Union Director General Michalis Andoniou neither confirmed or denied such an initiative, adding however that ‘no one is about to leave the boat without a skipper’. Marriage is difficult, he added.
Earlier this morning a more grim outlook was reported, with Politis sources noting that the positive expectations of an involvement by finance minister Makis Keravnos are evaporating, as unions and employers not giving an inch.
On the one hand, labour leaders have rejected proposals put forward by the Chamber of Commerce and the Industrialists Union. Unless something dramatic transpires, the pan union conference will, as repeatedly made clear, move to strike.
Unions were hoping on at least a last-minute scheduling of a new meeting, with a labour official telling "P" that the million dollar question is whether the Minister of Finance is ultimately acting as a mediator or essentially a representative of employers, who is really seeking to bring down the cost of the state payroll.
Employers coordinating
Shortly after the pan-union meeting convened for 1530, the Employers and Industrialists Union is holding an extraordinary session via teleconference to exchange views.
‘Decisions in regard to negotiation objectives have already been taken at previous meetings of the competent bodies’, Michalis Andoniou said.
He expressed the hope that union decisions will not create obstacles to continuing the dialogue that is a one-way street and further conveyed the employers’ commitment to modernise with CoLA using safety valves that can protect public finances, the state payroll, and viability of businesses.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry General Secretary Philokypros Rousounis is calling on the unions to think twice and not proceed with strike measures which, as he points out, will hurt the economy, employment stability and create deadlock conditions.
‘The only competent ones who can declare a deadlock are the mediating ministers,’ he indicated.
According to Mr. Rousounidis, there is still ground for discussion, notwithstanding the distance between the two sides.