15/03/2011 14:26
The labour relations in the construction industry are unsettled after the deadlock in the negotiations for the renewal of the union contract between the trade unions and the contractors.
The dispute that led negotiations to a deadlock is the memorandum of agreement.
In his statements to StockWatch, General Secretary of PEO construction trade union, Michalis Papanikolaou said that after the deadlock of the negotiations, the trade unions sent a letter to Labour Minister, Sotiroula Charalambous, asking for the submission of a mediatory proposal, pursuant to the labour relations code.
Mr. Papanikolaou noted that the “Memorandum of Agreement for which the contractors demand simultaneous deliberations with the union contracts is something totally different and, therefore, the trade unions reject its deliberation within the framework of the union contract”.
He did not exclude the possibility of a strike if the contractors insist.
On the other hand, General Manager of the Contractors’ Federation, Nicos Kelepeshis, stated that the Federation will not retreat since the “Memorandum of Agreement” is part and parcel of the union contract, which is not accepted by SEK and PEO.
Mr. Kelepeshis explained that the memorandum agreed in 2008 includes issues concerning the subcontracting, the quota of the self-employed by a contractor and the arbitration procedure in case of a violation.
“The Federation requested the enforcement of the Memorandum otherwiae there will be no margins for deliberations between the two sides”, he said.
After that, the two sides are waiting for the mediatory proposal of the Labour Minister as a last-minute effort to solve the labour dispute.
The dispute that led negotiations to a deadlock is the memorandum of agreement.
In his statements to StockWatch, General Secretary of PEO construction trade union, Michalis Papanikolaou said that after the deadlock of the negotiations, the trade unions sent a letter to Labour Minister, Sotiroula Charalambous, asking for the submission of a mediatory proposal, pursuant to the labour relations code.
Mr. Papanikolaou noted that the “Memorandum of Agreement for which the contractors demand simultaneous deliberations with the union contracts is something totally different and, therefore, the trade unions reject its deliberation within the framework of the union contract”.
He did not exclude the possibility of a strike if the contractors insist.
On the other hand, General Manager of the Contractors’ Federation, Nicos Kelepeshis, stated that the Federation will not retreat since the “Memorandum of Agreement” is part and parcel of the union contract, which is not accepted by SEK and PEO.
Mr. Kelepeshis explained that the memorandum agreed in 2008 includes issues concerning the subcontracting, the quota of the self-employed by a contractor and the arbitration procedure in case of a violation.
“The Federation requested the enforcement of the Memorandum otherwiae there will be no margins for deliberations between the two sides”, he said.
After that, the two sides are waiting for the mediatory proposal of the Labour Minister as a last-minute effort to solve the labour dispute.
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