THE Ministry of Labour has initiated a round of talks with unions in a bid to reach agreement on a new regime for opening hours for small shops and supermarkets, but the task appears daunting from the outset.
A complex law dating back to 1960 is still in force in Cyprus; the ministry is working on a bill to amend it and streamline all matters relating to the operation of small shops.
The major complication arises from the fact that a different set of work-related regulations applies to small shops, and consequently their employees; they are allowed summer siestas and have Wednesday afternoons off. According to reports, the Labour Ministry aims to abolish these two traditional arrangements.
POVEK, the small shopkeepers union, are staunchly opposed to any changes to the current situation.
They have often been at odds with the government, which they accuse of failing to protect them from what they perceive as unfair competition from hypermarkets and shopping malls.
For their part, employers’ organisations propose the introduction of a work schedule where employees of small shops would work shifts and have three afternoons a week free; this would allow the shops to work continuously, to the benefit of consumers and the economy in general, they argue.
Labour Minister Makis Keravnos has met with union delegates to gauge their reaction to the proposed amendments; and more meetings are scheduled soon.
But the debate has opened up a can of worms, with the involved parties now raising a host of issues; POVEK, for example, also wants a bill that would allow kiosk owners and bakeries greater leeway in the range of products they can sell.
Meanwhile press reports suggested that the Labour Ministry tried to assign the drafting of the bill to the Ministry of Commerce, but was politely turned down. The reason given was that the Ministry of Commerce’s resources were already stretched and it could not deal with the additional workload.
In any case, both ministries will have their hands full in coming months, as they prepare hundreds of bills related to the labour market and commerce ahead of EU accession.
