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Jobs scheme gets off the ground
EMPLOYERS and unions were yesterday presented with the government’s €8 million scheme for 2012, aimed at helping young people and the long-term unemployed get back to work.
Presenting the scheme to the National Employment Committee, Labour Minister Sotiroulla Charalambous said the government planned to cover 50 to 65 per cent of the cost of employing people from the two groups.
The social partners have until the end of the week to make suggestions and comments, so the scheme can be submitted to the Cabinet for approval as soon as possible.
Speaking after the meeting, Charalambous said the Committee had also been informed on added measures the ministry planned to boost jobs.
She said new regulations would be introduced covering the construction sector and public development projects.
The first will provide that companies carrying out contracts for the state will hire through the public employment services.
“Another provision will be added, which will exclude businesses/bidders from public works, which were convicted for illegal and unregistered labour, or for violations of other laws, including the order for minimum wage,” said Charalambous.
Referring to the ministry’s new scheme, she added: “We informed the social partners on the new scheme, which has a budget of €8 million for 2012 and is aimed at young unemployed people up to 29 years old, with an unemployment period of three to six months, as well as the long-term unemployed, who have been out of work for more than seven months,” said the minister. The reimbursement will be higher – over 60 per cent - if the unemployed person is placed in the construction sector. In other sectors it will be 50 per cent.
“Our goal is to create a scheme that is very flexible, so that applications by businesses and unemployed people are approved fast, so that funding can start as soon as possible,” said Charalambous.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Labour Federation of Cyprus (DEOK) yesterday announced it had presented the national committee with a proposal to prepare a national memorandum, with the aim of institutionalising a procedure for discussing and resolving problems between workers and employers.
“The measures that were implemented until today to deal with unemployment are insufficient and ineffective, as they are missing the element of development,” said DEOK.
The federation explained that making plans to boost employment could only work if a proper development scheme was in place first.
DEOK also proposed the creation of a special department at the Public Employment Services for youths.
Presenting the scheme to the National Employment Committee, Labour Minister Sotiroulla Charalambous said the government planned to cover 50 to 65 per cent of the cost of employing people from the two groups.
The social partners have until the end of the week to make suggestions and comments, so the scheme can be submitted to the Cabinet for approval as soon as possible.
Speaking after the meeting, Charalambous said the Committee had also been informed on added measures the ministry planned to boost jobs.
She said new regulations would be introduced covering the construction sector and public development projects.
The first will provide that companies carrying out contracts for the state will hire through the public employment services.
“Another provision will be added, which will exclude businesses/bidders from public works, which were convicted for illegal and unregistered labour, or for violations of other laws, including the order for minimum wage,” said Charalambous.
Referring to the ministry’s new scheme, she added: “We informed the social partners on the new scheme, which has a budget of €8 million for 2012 and is aimed at young unemployed people up to 29 years old, with an unemployment period of three to six months, as well as the long-term unemployed, who have been out of work for more than seven months,” said the minister. The reimbursement will be higher – over 60 per cent - if the unemployed person is placed in the construction sector. In other sectors it will be 50 per cent.
“Our goal is to create a scheme that is very flexible, so that applications by businesses and unemployed people are approved fast, so that funding can start as soon as possible,” said Charalambous.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Labour Federation of Cyprus (DEOK) yesterday announced it had presented the national committee with a proposal to prepare a national memorandum, with the aim of institutionalising a procedure for discussing and resolving problems between workers and employers.
“The measures that were implemented until today to deal with unemployment are insufficient and ineffective, as they are missing the element of development,” said DEOK.
The federation explained that making plans to boost employment could only work if a proper development scheme was in place first.
DEOK also proposed the creation of a special department at the Public Employment Services for youths.
Source: www.cyprus-mail.com
February 8, 2012
February 8, 2012