The intention of the Government is recorded in a report-review of the Cypriot economy, prepared by the Ministry of Finance, under the title "Economic developments of 2015 and prospects for 2016-2018". At this stage, the Government has no idea about the required expenditure and the bill is still being drafted.
"When the bill is prepared, the costing and justification of the decision will be included," said Finance Minister Haris Georgiadis, defending the government's handling and refuting party criticism, including DISY. The Minister of Finance describes the decision as "a reasonable first step of limited expenditure, performance of the increase of the promotion scale, which constitutes a non-recurring cost". In his statements, the Minister of Finance noted that "the performance of the increase is part of the package of the agreement with the trade union movement for the permanent structural changes in the wider public sector that also concern the salary". Saying this, Mr. Georgiadis focused on "the huge recurring savings of millions of euros on the horizon, which will occur as a result of the reform."
According to data we gathered, from last June to the beginning of the month, it is estimated that about 100 employees were promoted by EDY. The number of those promoted in education is higher, amounting to 352 teachers at all levels. According to EVS data, the majority of promotions, 210 teachers, are in Secondary and Technical education. The Primary School follows with 148 teachers. The number of those promoted in education is expected to increase by the end of the year as a number of promotions are pending.
The government's decision provoked a strong reaction from the opposition, with the Citizens' Alliance noting that "if there are budget surpluses available they should be used fairly" indicating that "there are social groups living below the poverty line and in more miserable position by high-ranking public officials ".
In the same vein, the Movement of Environmentalists is calling on the Government to withdraw its intention. "It is a provocative decision when there are thousands of unemployed and even long-term, when there is poverty and social exclusion, such actions are unacceptable."
The Government also criticizes the CCCI, noting that the intention for wage increases is out of place and time "when the economy is at a critical point and can not withstand increases in government spending that will lead us again to unjustified exposures, which will be called to cover all the economy". In its announcement, the CCCI indicates that "such initiatives are not in line with the current situation", preferring "continuation of the restrained fiscal policy, in order to get the Cypriot economy out of recession."
DISY disagrees with the Government
Both orally Averof Neophytou and later with a written statement by P. Prodromos as a representative of DISY, the ruling party separated its position from the Government on the issue of increases in promotion positions.
"The emerging proposal to grant earlier than expected increases and salary benefits for recent public sector promotions (with the explicit agreement that there would be no wage costs) does not find the Democratic Alarm in line," the statement said. adds: "Supporting the Government's efforts to reform the public sector and even praising what the competent Undersecretary has done so far in the context of the reform, we believe that there should be an overall assessment and decisions for the whole of employees at the end of 2016.
We understand the expectations of those concerned, but they themselves must understand that our attention must be focused first on the unemployed and especially the young, as well as on the hundreds of thousands of employees in the private sector, but also on the tens of thousands of other employees in the wider public sector. ».
According to DISY, "the priority of economic policy must be the support and consolidation of a new growth model that will create, in an investment environment, the necessary new jobs."
Source: Liberal