THE CABINET is today expected to decide whether to approve a bill altering laws on the employment conditions for non-EU housemaids, providing among other things a five per cent increase of their minimum wage.
The increase translates into a €21 pay rise, bringing housemaids’ monthly salary up to €443 – and €300 if they have a live-in job – which is still half of Cyprus’ €887 minimum wage.
Apart from the salary raise, the bill seeks to introduce stricter criteria for issuing employment permits for overseas housemaids. While their minimum wage rise maintains the same working hours, employees will be asked to contribute to the relevant guarantees that have so far been paid solely by the employer.
The government’s proposed law also aims to alter public conceptions by changing the word “housemaid” to “house worker”.
The Interior Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Lazaros Savvides, yesterday confirmed the bill would be presented to the Cabinet today for approval so it could be sent off to Parliament and passed into law.
“There is a proposal that covers various aspects,” said Savvides, adding that he didn’t have details yet, as it was still considered confidential.
Despite this, the proposal’s details were made public by Politis newspaper yesterday. “I can confirm that the report is true,” said Savvides.
“There is a proposal that concerns the guarantees that were so far paid by the employer – the financial and personal criteria under which someone can bring a housemaid to Cyprus – and there is the matter of wage increases.”
The bill was prepared by a ministerial committee appointed by the Cabinet, chaired by the Interior Minister and joined by the Labour, Justice and Commerce Ministers.
If the proposal is passed into law, house workers’ wages will increase by five per cent, taking it up to €443 from €422 – if the employee has a live-in job, she will receive a clear €300.
As for guarantees, which are paid by the employer to ensure the foreign nationals have the means to return to their countries when necessary, an employee coming from a far away country such as the Philippines or Sri Lanka will have to pay €520 in addition to the employer’s €854.
Coming from a shorter distance, from countries such as the Ukraine or Russia, employees will pay €312 and their employers €512. And from nearby states, such as Syria or Egypt, the amount drops to €207 for the employee and €340 for the employer.
To acquire a permit, housemaids will also have to have basic knowledge of the Greek or English language, as well as at least a year’s previous experience in the field.
The criteria for a family’s children or elderly person’s age limit required to employ a house worker remains the same – a pensioner needs to be 75 years old and over, while a child needs to be under the age of 12.
Housemaids can also be employed by vulnerable people who can’t care for themselves, such as cancer patients, multiple sclerosis sufferers or disabled people.
Up until now, to apply for a housekeeper, a couple needed to have a joint annual income of at least €86,000 or a single person needed to earn €52,000 and over. But now, efforts are being made to set specific conditions and ensure a foreign worker is employed to care for the family and not as a cleaner and general maid. For this, European workers or local cleaning agencies can be employed.
Savvides yesterday explained there were still some disagreements on this aspect among the four ministers.
The general aim of the new proposal is to set specific criteria for someone to be entitled to use a house carer for their children, elderly persons or patients; and not as maids who do everything from cleaning, ironing, cooking and other basic chores.
