August 25, 2014 - Cyprus Mail
6,000 to lose jobs if shops shut on Sundays
By George Psyllides
RETAILERS warned on Monday that around 6,000 people stood to lose their jobs if the government decided to terminate its policy of extending shop hours across the island.
Decrees extending shop hours to include Wednesday afternoons and Sundays were introduced by the government in July 2013 in a bid to encourage consumerism and boost the economy.
The decrees basically said that shop hours that applied in tourist zones now applied everywhere.
It did not take long for the scheme to prove successful, with retailers now reporting 6,000 people hired to cover Sundays and a boost in turnover.
“Hiring 6,000 fellow citizens meant €470,000 going to the state coffers per month, or €5.6m a year through employers’ contributions,” a statement said.
The retailers said there appeared to be an intention not to renew the decree in September, which, apart from the loss in jobs, would kill efforts to stimulate the market and the recovery of economic activity.
“It would once more create obsolete distortions in the retail market — condemned by everyone and mainly the EU – through the failed system of tourist zones and the selective operation of shops,” the statement said.
The retailers’ association, including supermarkets, small businesses and fruit markets, urged the government to rethink and called on all affected parties to intensify talks to find a solution that would benefit everyone.
Workers, who have since formed an association, held a protest on Monday and presented their demand for renewal of the decree in its current form to Labour Minister Zeta Emilianidou.
The minister said the matter will be decided at the end of the week.
Nikoletta Pouli, one of the workers, said they only wanted to protect their right to employment.
“We are tired. Thirteen months now, we have to live in insecurity every three months (duration of the decrees).” She urged all sides to intensify the dialogue so that the measure becomes permanent.
The liberalisation has been fought since its introduction by various groups led by POVEK, the small business association.
POVEK claims the majority of small and medium businesses were suffering as a result of the decision to extend shop hours, which only served a dozen big stores and supermarket chains.
POVEK is supported by PEO trade union, which is part of AKEL.
The union said the protest had been instigated and paid for by the large companies in the sector who “forced the employees” to participate.
PEO said the decrees had increased exploitation of workers and minimum income violations have also risen.
“Sunday, as a day of rest and family get-together, has been abolished for thousands of workers in the sector,” PEO said.
Convenience stores also reacted along the same lines, accusing retailers of being behind the workers.
“We do not want anyone to lose their job, whether they are employed by the large supermarkets or the small and medium businesses in the sector like convenience stores,” their association chairman Andreas Theodoulou said in a statement.
“However, our businesses are shutting down one after the other and our workers are left unemployed as a result of the anarchy brought about by the decrees.”