Conference addresses labor exploitation in the Cypriot hospitality sector

A multi-thematic conference held in Nicosia on July 30, 2026, highlighted critical issues regarding the living conditions and labor exploitation of foreign workers in Cyprus’s hospitality industry. Organized by the NGO Step Up Stop Slavery with support from the Ministry of Justice, the event focused on promoting fair employment practices to prevent human trafficking for both labor and sexual exploitation.

Panagiotis Ioannidis, deputy secretary general of the SEC hotel workers' federation, detailed the practice of "labor subletting." Hotels often bypass collective agreements by hiring contractors who provide asylum seekers as workers. While hotels pay these contractors 10-12 euros per hour, the workers frequently receive only the minimum wage or less after illegal deductions for housing and transport. These employees are consistently denied overtime, Sunday pay, holiday bonuses, and the benefits stipulated by collective labor agreements.

Katerina Stefanou, founder of Step Up Stop Slavery, emphasized that secure migration policies and ethical recruitment are essential tools to combat exploitation. The conference served as a platform to propose solutions and urge stakeholders to move away from these predatory outsourcing models.