MPs call for new system to assess jobless

A NEW system allocating unemployed people to new jobs should have been up and running after the decision to change it was made in 2011, the House labour committee said on Monday.

Chairman Andreas Fakontis said they would be sending a letter to Labour minister Zeta Emilianidou to speed up the process so the system could be implemented by the start of 2016.

“We have asked the ministry to study the possibility of modernising the system because the current one has many gaps, weaknesses and the possibility of interference from third parties which results in many complaints from unemployed people,” he told the Cyprus News Agency after the session.

Expressing his disappointment that it is now almost the end of 2015 and the new digital system has still not been implemented, following the decision to scrap the old one in 2011, the matter is now before Emilianidou pending her approval.

Fakontis said the new system is in line with administrative laws and would be completely transparent, objective and offer equal treatment to all unemployed people. It also prevents any interference from people that could allocate individuals to potential jobs.

In the meantime, three categories of unemployed people will be scrapped as the thought process should be to treat people the same way irrelevant to their studies or special needs.

The new system reduces the number of professions from 300 to 100 with applicants having the possibility to choose any job provided they have the qualifications. They will also be able to monitor their queue.

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