Hotel unions condemn ‘slave market’ of temporary agency workers

Hotel unions warned on Tuesday of further action over the alleged use of third country workers through labour agencies, saying the practice is undermining labour protections across the industry. Both Sek and Peo have called on the labour ministry to intervene after raising concerns over workers, across all sectors of the hotel industry, being supplied to hotels through temporary employment companies and other intermediaries. The issue is due to be raised with the labour minister following a meeting with the labour department earlier this month and a letter sent to the labour relations department. SEK secretary-general Michalis Frangou said some hotels were obtaining workers from agencies that had recruited third country nationals for other sectors, creating what he described as “two-speed employees”. He said hotels have been turning to agencies when they urgently needed staff, paying the intermediary rather than employing workers directly under the sector’s established terms. He described the situation as a “slave market”. PEO hotel workers’ secretary-general Neophytos Timinis said the practice was not confined to isolated cases and was has been reported in hotels previously, particularly Ayia Napa and Paphos. “These employees are paid by the hour, without any application of the collective agreement and without benefits,” Timinis said. He called for more inspections and said the unions would consider further measures in September if authorities failed to address the issue. The unions have asked the ministry to carry out targeted inspections of both companies supplying workers and the hotels using their services, as well as to impose sanctions where violations are found. Frangou acknowledged that hotels face staff shortages but said this did not justify bypassing established employment procedures. The unions have further raised concerns over similar practices in construction and catering. Police have warned that vulnerable foreign workers could face exploitation and trafficking risks in the industry. Foreign nationals account for almost 40 per cent of Cyprus’s hospitality workforce. The labour ministry says around 8,000 inspections are carried out each year and that anonymous complaints can be made concerning exploitation, illegal employment and breaches of employment conditions.