Targeted strike action at specific hotel units that fail to uphold the collective agreement or the terms agreed upon during mediation by the Ministry of Labour was unanimously decided yesterday by the hotel workers' federations of the PEO and SEK unions.

The dynamic measures are expected to take place next week, although the unions have not yet specified the exact day or form of action. This is because they will wait to assess, through the payment of July salaries, which hotels will comply with the agreed terms under the collective agreement and which will not.

In cases where a hotel fails to meet the provisions of the collective agreement, it will be added to the list of units subject to strike action.

“The workers in the hotel sector are not responsible for the labour unrest that will arise next week,” said Neophytos Timinis, General Secretary of PEO’s hotel employees’ federation, in a statement to Brief.

Mr. Timinis referred to a group of hoteliers who ignore and violate the collective agreements and the commitments made with the trade union movement.

Although the labour dispute was referred to the Labour Relations Department, the Ministry of Labour has not succeeded in resolving the issue.

At present, the Ministry remains a bystander, despite having made informal contacts. It has yet to schedule a formal mediation meeting in which it could clearly state, in its role as mediator, what should be done in this sensitive tourism sector, based on the unions’ complaints.

The two professional associations of hoteliers, PASYXE and STEK, have maintained a low profile. In a joint statement, they urged their members who may not be complying with the collective agreement to begin doing so.

They also expressed their willingness to participate in any meeting to which the Ministry of Labour may invite them.

The trade union movement has highlighted the issues triggering worker reactions. These go beyond non-compliance with the collective agreement and include:

• Illegal leasing of workers
• Violations of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA/ATA) system
• Misinterpretation of relevant regulations
• Failure to implement regulations on employee welfare funds
• Breaches of employment criteria for third-country nationals

“In a period when the hotel industry is thriving and has shown profitability in recent years, it is utterly unacceptable for some employers to refuse to implement the agreements signed by their professional associations,” the unions stated in a joint announcement last Friday.