Workers at the Kokkinochoria garbage collection crews will hold a protest outside the Ministry of the Interior next Wednesday, where they will express "their indignation and bitterness" as a result of the Local Government reform, since the majority of these workers will be laid off and will not be transferred to the new economic entity as the relevant legislation provides.
In a statement, SIDIKEK PEO said the protest will take place from 10:00 to 12:00 and with it they "hold the competent Ministry of the Interior accountable for the implementation of both the reform legislation and all its other contractual obligations undertaken towards the trade union movement."
SIDIKEK PEO declares that it will support the workers until they are vindicated, emphasizing that "we will not accept any victimization of them."
He also calls on the Minister of Interior to ensure that these workers are transferred to the Municipality of Ayia Napa and to ensure their continued service, since only in this way will the entire issue be resolved.
As SIDIKEK PEO explains, before the reform and the creation of only two Municipalities in the Famagusta District, there was a joint service for garbage collection between the Municipalities of Sotira, Deryneia and the Communities of Liopetri, Avgorou, Acherito, Vrysoullo and Frenaros, with the respective District Governor as Chairman.
He notes that this joint service had five garbage crews, staffed by 22 employees, adding that "all these authorities have been dissolved with the reform and two new Municipalities have been created - Ayia Napa and Paralimni-Dheryneia, with the former Local Government authorities constituting the Departments of these Municipalities."
"Therefore, it states, "by decision of the complex, this will cease to operate as of 1/4/2025 and the collection areas will be transferred to the relevant Municipalities, without, however, fully regulating the transfer of these workers to the new Municipalities."
The union clarifies that "the transfer of employees with all their existing rights to the new entities is provided for both in the relevant legislation and in the agreement that the trade unions signed on March 3, 2020 with the then Minister of the Interior, Nikos Nouris, which even refers to the full safeguarding of employees' rights and that no employee will be fired as a result of the implementation of the reform."
Furthermore, he adds that there is another legal obligation for transfer that arises from the 2000 Law on the Preservation and Safeguarding of Employees' Rights during Transfers.
"In the case of the complex in question, we had the very positive approach of the new Mayor of Paralimni, regarding the proportional hiring of employees in the Municipality of Paralimni, accepting his contractual obligations, but also the need to continue the unhindered collection in these areas, while the position of the Mayor and Municipal Council of Ayia Napa was and continues to be exactly the opposite, which does not recognize any legal provision or the agreement with the Minister of the Interior," reports SIDIKEK PEO.
Source: KYPE
