Government and SEK union discuss pension reform and labor issues

On Thursday, President Nikos Christodoulides met with the new leadership of the SEK union at the Presidential Palace. The primary focus was the inclusion of the second pillar of pension reform in a bill expected to be submitted to Parliament in September. Minister of Labor Marinos Mousiouttas confirmed that a draft proposal will be submitted within the next 15 days. Beyond pensions, the discussions covered the strategy for foreign workers, the hourly rate of the minimum wage, and the bill regarding the adequacy of minimum wages and the expansion of collective agreements. The meeting also addressed the connection between public contracts and collective agreements, as well as issues concerning the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC). Attendees included Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki, Director General of the Ministry of Finance Andreas Zachariades, and Deputy Government Spokesperson Giannis Antoniou. The SEK delegation was represented by General Secretary Andreas Matsas, Deputy General Secretary Panikos Argyridis, Organizing Secretary Giannis Tsouris, and Treasurer Savvas Koulas. President Christodoulides expressed the government's intention to maintain close cooperation with the union despite occasional differences in approach.