Cypriot unions will join forces with fellow workers across Europe today, in an EU-wide demonstration against “unpopular policies” and austerity measures they say are leading to more unemployment.
Cyprus’ demonstration is co-organised by nine trade unions – including public servants’ union PASYDY, teachers’ union OELMEK and Cyprus Workers’ Confederation SEK – and will start at 11 am at SEK’s office in Nicosia. Unionists will march to the Finance Ministry and then Parliament to hand over a resolution.
SEK general secretary Nicos Moiseos said Cyprus’ working movement would take to the streets today to protest the effects of the economic crisis, as well as the government’s failure to properly manage the situation.
“In Cyprus, it seems the cost of the crisis is being paid by thousands of workers, who are having to deal with the high cost of living as well as profiteering, unemployment and shrinkage of the social state,” said Moiseos.
He referred to the new “storm of taxes” by the government, which has “wrongly chosen a tax-imposing policy” to cover up its deficit problems.
“Tax evasion and wealth remain untouched, while efforts to collect delayed taxes have not brought satisfactory results,” said Moiseos.
He called for reason to prevail, as he addressed Parliament as well as the government. “We are hoping the problems of the economic crisis are dealt with in an orthodox way and that the easy way out isn’t chosen, which is usually the workers,” said Moiseos.
The demonstration is part of an initiative by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
The European unionists’ appeal will peak with a mass march demo along the streets of Brussels starting at 1pm local time. Afterwards, an ETUC delegation will meet Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and the President of the Council of Ministers, Yves Leterne.
Cyprus will be among 12 EU states to demonstrate – Portugal, Italy, Latvia and France, among others – while a general strike will be held in Spain.
“This is the worst economic crisis of the post-war period in Western Europe,” ETUC General Secretary John Monks said in early September. “Our campaign is a campaign against austerity but for jobs and growth: cutting in a recession, cutting when unemployment is already high, cutting when economic growth is low – this is wrong. We say cutting labour rights and pensions is wrong too. So, on 29 September, we will be calling for a rethink and a change in Europe. We’re mobilising and they will have to listen to us.”
