The number of T / Cs working today in the free areas has been drastically reduced compared to the first years after the opening of the roadblocks, as can be deduced from the data and estimates of the PEO and SEK unions in which the T / C workers were organized.
In the first years after 2004, the number of Turkish Cypriots working in the free areas amounted to a few thousand, while according to the data registered in the Social Insurance Fund, today they are limited to less than 800.
The Cypriot News Agency spoke with the Central Organizing Secretary of PEO Christos Tombazos and the General Organizing Secretary of SEK, Panikos Argyridis, whose assessment is convergent in terms of reducing the number of T / C employees in the regions.
After the opening of the roadblocks, several thousand Turkish Cypriots worked in the free areas and this was a consequence of the prevailing economic conditions under which there were several jobs available, Christos Tombazos told KYPE.
"Today, the picture we have is that this number has been drastically reduced. "We can not have exact figures, but at least from the figures of those who are registered in social security, they seem to be less than 800 today", he said.
Asked by KYPE about the phenomenon of undeclared work and whether it is found among T / C employees, Mr. Tombazos stated that undeclared work is a parameter that can not be measured and there may be T / C among the undeclared workers, noting at the same time that undeclared work is a huge problem that concerns everyone, whether they are Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots or immigrants.
A large part of the Turkish Cypriots who currently work in the free areas, he added, is unionized, is organized in the PEO. Their number, he clarified, amounts to a few hundred. They work mainly in the construction sector, "but there are also many in trade".
Asked whether the financial crisis was the determining factor that led to the reduction of the number of Turkish Cypriot workers in the free zones or are there other reasons, Mr. Tombazos said that during the crisis period and the period that followed, there was a mass departure, return to the occupied areas of T / C employees.
"2013 was decisive but inevitable, in the sense that in the construction sector, and today we are talking about, there is huge unemployment, so there are no jobs available," he explained.
He also said that it should be taken into account that especially in the construction sector due to the construction orgasm in the occupied areas, there is an increase in jobs and thus the incentive for Turkish Cypriots to come to work in the free areas is reduced.
Asked about the collective agreements and whether they cover the Turkish Cypriots, Mr. Toumpazos said that all members of the PEO are equal and there can be no discrimination in terms of their employment, in terms of their benefits, "no there can be and there is no discrimination and this does not only concern the Turkish Cypriots but also the immigrant workers ", he clarified.
In another question, he said that the PEO does not often accept complaints or complaints of Turkish Cypriots regarding discrimination against them due to their national origin.
"PEO attaches importance to T / C employees since our expectation is the reunification of Cyprus and its people," he said.
He also referred to the relations of PEO with the Turkish Cypriot unions and in particular referred to the relations of PEO with DEV- İŞ (Davis) saying that there is a common mechanism for monitoring the service of T / C cases requested for their rights deriving from the legislation. either because they were employees in the Republic of Cyprus before 1974 or because they fall under the beneficiaries of social security rights (pensions, provident funds, etc.).
Mr. Tombazos also mentioned that after an agreement with the Ministry of Labor, a mechanism has been implemented, together with DEVIS, under which on a regular basis people from PEO go to Social Security to serve T / C for their rights acquired under the legislation as employees in the Republic of Cyprus.
Asked by KYPE about the relations between PEO and the T / C organizations, he said that they are excellent and made special reference to six T / C organizations with which they jointly participate in the world trade union federation (DAVIS, KTAMS, KTOEOS, KTOS, BES and
KOPSEN).
"We have close relations with these organizations and together we often do actions and events, which are targeted, specific and with content that is appropriate to our action, whether it concerns social issues, or this concerns our main priority, the need to resolve of the Cyprus problem, said concluding Christos Tombazos.
For his part, in his statements to KYPE, the General Organizing Secretary of SEK, Panikos Argyridis said that the Turkish Cypriots mainly work in the field of construction in the free areas while SEK had members in oil companies, gas stations, bus companies, at the City Hall. Nicosia.
"After 2006, due to the increase in unemployment in these sectors and in the construction sector, the number of Turkish Cypriot employees decreased," he said, while when asked about the number of Turkish Cypriot employees, he said that the SEC in 2006 had 250 Turkish Cypriot members. , while today the number has decreased to around 30-40, most of whom are permanent residents of the free areas.
According to Mr. Argyridis, the decrease in the number of Turkish Cypriots had decreased before the financial crisis of 2013, starting from 2006 "because the number of jobs in the occupied areas was increasing".
He expressed the view that there were no other reasons, other than the increase of jobs in the construction sector in the occupied territories, that led the Turkish Cypriots to look for work in the occupied territories "since in terms of wages, where there are unions and collective agreements we did not pay attention "any forms of discrimination as they were paid equally," he said.
Asked about complaints or grievances from the Turkish Cypriot government about unequal treatment in the workplace, he said that collective agreements, where they exist, cover the rights of all employees equally and that there were no serious cases.
Asked about cases of illegal employment, he said that they are mainly in small businesses "that are disorganized, trying to exploit workers in various ways to reduce their labor costs" and that where there are collective agreements there are no strong illegal employment since regular checks are made and there is no tolerance for the issue.
There were complaints from Turkish Cypriots, but they concerned cases of working in workplaces that were not covered by collective agreements, he said.
He also mentioned that from 2006 -2010 the SEC employed Turkish Cypriots in order to be able to serve the members of the union and help solve the problems they faced while the reason that his employment stopped in 2010 is the significant reduction in the number of T / members of the SEC.
He also referred to the relationship of SEK with the Turkish trade union organization TURKSEN, relations which pre-existed in 1974 and still continue, clarifying that in the context of the cooperation of the two unions, the Turkish Cypriot who worked in SEK was a member of TURKSEN and after After leaving the SEC, he returned to his duties in the Turkish guild.
It is the only Turkish Cypriot trade union organization in the occupied territories, registered in the register of guild registrars of the Republic of Cyprus, added Mr. Argyridis, adding that like SEK, TURKSEN is a member of the Confederation of European Trade Unions, while within the common programs.
He finally mentioned to KYPE that from 2005-2007 there were many Turkish Cypriots who through the SEC asked to be paid their rights, provided that they meet the requirements of the law, while he expressed the belief that payments are made, saying that now has clarified this issue.
Source: KYPE