An illustration of the might of unions is the fact that union leaders are well rewarded by their respective employers. And this was not the case exclusively in the public sector. The leader of the bank employees’ union Etyk, who was in the post for some 30 years, was regularly promoted and moved up the pay-scales despite doing very little, if any, productive work for his employer. On the contrary, he spent most of his time dealing with union affairs, constantly turning the screw on the banks and invariably getting his way. And for this he was handsomely rewarded by the banks.

This perverse practice of the employer paying the wages of the union bosses is the rule in the public sector. For example, teachers that are elected to the teaching union hierarchy are paid by the taxpayer to work exclusively for the union, but their career progression is not affected – they could rise to rank of head teacher because the education ministry has been forced to consider union work as teaching service! The same applies in the case of nurses and doctors at public hospitals as well as for civil servants. Full-time union activism, which includes disregard for work rules, is no obstacle to career progression in the public sector.

It is in this context that the sacking of the vice president of the prison warden’s branch of Isotita trade union should be viewed. He was under the impression that because of his union role he was untouchable and did pretty much as he pleased. An investigation, ordered by the justice ministry, found that the union man was “systematically absent from his duties on specific days of the week,” and was guilty of “repeated non-compliance with official instructions and decisions of the Department of Prisons.”

His union, Isotita, expressed the customary “indignation and disappointment” and described the dismissal as “blatantly unfair and provocative.” It was neither. The prison warden did not show up of for work and ignored the instructions of his managers. He was behaving as if the rules and work regulations did not apply to him because he had a position in the union. This type of behaviour is widespread in the public sector; union officials considering themselves untouchable, not without reason – public service bosses are afraid to take them on.

No such fear was displayed by Justice Minister Costas Fitiris, who was not prepared to sweep the matter under the carpet when it was reported to him. Having served in the army, he recognises the importance of order and discipline. He set an example for everyone in the public service to follow, making it clear that union officials are not untouchables. The next step would be for career progression to be suspended for the time a public employee is serving as a union official.