NICOSIA — Migrant workers in Cyprus should have the same rights as all other Cypriot and EU workers, a European human rights watchdog said on Monday, warning that the poorly paid and overworked labourers were vulnerable to abuse and trafficking.
More than 20,000 domestic workers are employed in the east Mediterranean island, which has a population of 930,000 in its southern, government-controlled areas, experts from the Council of Europe, a Strasbourg-based body, said in an assessment.
The migrant workers are mainly from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Vietnam.
They earn considerably less than the state-sanctioned minimum wage which applies to other workers, experts from the Council of Europe, a Strasbourg-based body, the report said.
“(This) renders these workers vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking,” the assessment panel, known as GRETA, said in a five-yearly report on the member state’s compliance with anti-trafficking.
The report cited findings from the Cyprus Ombudsman’s office in 2020 that the average hourly wage received by a domestic worker could be as low as 1.29 euros ($1.47). Many worked an average of 58 hours a week, far exceeding the 42 hours in their contracts.
By law, gross salaries for domestic workers are set at a minimum of 460 euros monthly before deductions for food and accommodation, which can lop off up to 25% of earnings, as opposed to a starting minimum salary of 1,000 euros which applies to other individuals.
“GRETA urges the Cypriot authorities to take measures to ensure migrant workers enjoy the same rights and protections, including the same minimum wage, as Cypriot and EU workers,” the Council of Europe report said.
While noting improvements in its legislative framework, Cyprus needed to be more proactive in identifying exploitation victims, providing access to legal aid and improving conditions for migrant workers in general, the report said. — Reuters
