THE PACKAGE of measures aimed at improving public finances has not been officially announced yet, but union representatives wasted no time in expressing their opposition to those that affect their members. Yesterday staff at the Vines Commission, a semi-governmental organisation set to be shut down because, like the Milk Marketing Board it no more served a useful purpose, staged a two-hour work stoppage in protest against the decision. From tomorrow they were to go on indefinite strike if it were not rescinded.
Meanwhile, a representative of employees of the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE), for which there are privatisation plans, complained on a radio show yesterday morning that this would be the wrong move. If, however, it went ahead, workers’ rights had to be ‘safeguarded’, he said, without explaining what he meant. Was he demanding the new owner operated the CSE like the state had done, in order to keep workers happy and the business in the red? The state would have no trouble dealing with action by small organisations like these, but it is an indication of the type of reactions we should expect when measures touch the interests of bigger groups, like the civil servants and state school teachers.
Is the government ready to deal with disruptive work practices and strikes, or will it retreat, as it has done in the past, as soon as the union bosses threaten action? Alternatively, will the government hide behind the political parties which had pushed for the unpopular measures in spite of the government’s reluctance to make cutbacks? Decisions must be implemented regardless of union threats, to emphasise the government’s resolve to deal with the situation. This may well sound like wishful thinking, given the lack of resolve repeatedly displayed by the government, which needs to accept that it is fast running out of options.
Unfortunately, the president is still in denial about the scale of the problems facing the economy – they were made even worse on July 11 – and is the only person in Cyprus who thinks he can ride out the crisis with a few anodyne half measures that would keep union reaction to a minimum. This is a big mistake, as is the president’s willingness to allow the political parties to take the initiative for the necessary measures – a show of weakness that unions are bound to exploit. And they could cite the president’s promise that no measure would be taken without the consent of the workers.
It is of paramount importance for the entire political leadership, including the president, to support the economic measures, set to be finalised today. And the president should present the measures to the public, explaining the reasons why they had to be taken and why more were in the pipe-line. He could also explain all the negative consequences of not cutting state spending. Confronted with a united political leadership, the unions could understand the gravity of the situation and act in more responsible and public-spirited way.
