Minimum wages in 19 professions in the hotel industry are getting a 3.54 per cent increase, retrospectively from January 1, after the cabinet issued a decree on Wednesday as part of the sector’s collective agreement.
The decree follows up on a previous one in force since June 2023, which gave the workers in the sector a 7.12 per cent pay rise.
Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou said total increases of minimum wages in the hotel industry over the past two years amounted to 10.66 per cent, strengthening the adequacy of wages for thousands of low-income employees, mainly from the domestic workforce.
Panayiotou said the cabinet had been given an in depth briefing on the positive developments in the labour market and took decisions aiming at improving wages, creating conditions of full employment and covering additional needs in staff.
“The implementation of government policy is effective and produces positive results, which are mutually beneficial for economic growth and social cohesion,” he said.
Panayiotou presented recent statistical data, which indicated that unemployment was restricted to 5 per cent, while employment was nearly 80 per cent, while average salaries rose by 8.5 per cent and participation in training programmes increased by 27 per cent.
The minister said efforts to minimise unemployment would continue through a targeted policy concerning employment and training.
Over the past two years, he added, much had been done to speed up the examination of work applications by third country nationals.
Panayiotou said that in March a platform would be available for online applications.
Furthermore, access to the labour market by foreign students was being expanded and efforts were being made to attract highly specialised workers, through the mobility potential provided by the EU Blue Card.
The cabinet also approved an employment framework for foreign workers, aiming at better regulating employment and supporting the production process, while ensuring the equal treatment of all workers.
The list of vocations where a high percentage of foreign workers is allowed was also being updated.
Furthermore, living conditions were improving for foreign workers, along with measures to regulate the labour market and mandatory training to guarantee qualitative services.
