Trade union Sek reiterated its commitment to defending workers’ rights and advocating for the effective implementation of collective agreements at its nationwide conference in Nicosia on Tuesday.

The union highlighted its priorities, which included wage increases, preservation of the 38-hour work week, and improvements to pension and welfare funds.

Speaking after the conference, Sek General Secretary Andreas Matsas said Cyprus’ economic growth of 3.7 per cent this year provides an opportunity to enhance wages and benefits for workers, as stipulated in collective agreements.

“We believe the economy’s performance is not reflected in current wage levels. Wage increases aligned with the performance of sectors and businesses are vital to improving working conditions and maintaining economic growth,” Matsas said.

He then stressed the importance of retaining the 38-hour work week as a standard and ensuring that overtime work is fairly compensated while safeguarding health, safety and work-life balance, in addition to calling for the strengthening of pension funds and welfare schemes to address gaps in state social policy.

On collective agreements, Matsas expressed concern about reported violations, particularly by Hellenic Bank.

He said the bank had pressured Sek and trade union Peo members to either leave their unions or accept the non-uniform application of collective agreement provisions.

“Such practices are unacceptable,” Matsas said. “We have already approached the labour minister to intervene and restore order. We will monitor developments and take further action if necessary.”

He also cited a similar case in the hotel sector, where an employer unsuccessfully attempted to restrict the collective agreement’s application to unionised employees.

“We have always stood in solidarity with workers and defended their dignity against actions undermining both labour and business,” he added.

Matsas further urged the government to address issues like high living costs and to expand collective agreements across the labour market.

He stressed the need for restoring full application of the Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) by next summer and for increasing the national minimum wage to reflect the rising median wage.

“The minimum wage must be tied to hourly work and linked to CoLA to protect workers from inflation,” Matsas said.

Other key issues raised during the conference included reforming the pension system to ensure no retiree receives a pension below the poverty line and addressing irregularities in the employment of third-country nationals, which Sek claims disrupt labour market equilibrium and create unfair competition.

Matsas also called for the timely adoption of the EU directive on collective agreements into national law, with Sek “already collaborating with European trade unions to design a strategy for its implementation”.

Matsas concluded by stressing that better regulation of labour relations and broader application of collective agreements would benefit both workers and businesses, creating a level playing field for employers who invest in their workforce.

“This is not a threat but a challenge we must collectively address,” he said.