Cyprus Editorial: â€œOops, we did it againâ€¦â€

.

To paraphrase Britney Spears’ hit song from way back in 2000, the local trade unions are at it again, demanding pay rises and threatening with strikes, where the taxpayer’s abilities have been stretched to the limit and the state is barely recovering from the economic crisis.

But this time, thinking that their demands would be heard as we are just a few months away from the next presidential elections, and with every candidate dishing out promised like candies at a birthday party, we were pleasantly surprised that the Finance Minister simply said No. Was it that the state coffers are near-empty or because any promise would be deemed as buying votes?

Whatever the case, the Minister told the unions that their demands could not be met, discussed even, as long as w e were in the pre-election mode.

The employers’ federation OEV called on the unions not to endanger the hard-earned benefits and abstain from any strike action, adding that the demands of the semi-government staff, local administration and contractual workers in the public sector “are impossible” to be met. OEV added that all public sector workers have already received increments for 2017 and their cost of living allowance (COLA) for this year and 2018 as well, at a cost of “tens of millions of euros”.

The Chamber of Commerce (KEVE) called the intention to strike as “untimely and blackmail” which undermines the economy and could lead to repeating the catastrophic trends of the past.

If the privileged workers in the public sector have received their pay rises, what are they striking for?

The government should put an end to such shenanigans, especially on the eve of elections, and focus on helping the underprivileged sectors, especially low-income earners and long-term unemployed, who remain neglected by this administration.