Negotiations are happening in Cyprus now. Unions and employers are talking with the Ministry of Labour. They want to finish a new law about minimum wages. Talks went well yesterday. All groups agreed to write a new draft of the law. This new proposal will include ideas from everyone. This is a big step forward for the law.
There is not much time before elections. Parliament will close for a break soon. The government wants to present the law by the end of February or early March. A special body will meet again soon. They will agree on final points. Then, the Council of Ministers will approve the bill. After that, Parliament will vote on it. However, employers and unions still disagree on some parts of the law.
A main problem is how to set the minimum wage. Unions want to use "60% of the median wage" and "50% of the average wage." They say a European rule says this. Employers do not like these exact percentages. They have different ideas for setting the wage.
Another issue is collecting data and registering workers online. Employers think this process is too complicated. They say it will create extra work. Unions asked for other things to be included. They want to consider economic growth and productivity. These were not in the first draft. Including these might make unions happy.
The PEO union also wants to be sure about something. They want to know that the new minimum wage will include old agreed amounts. These amounts were from earlier job agreements. This shows unions want to protect workers' rights. They want the new law to work with old agreements.
It is difficult to finish this law. Many different groups have different ideas. The next few days are important. We will see if they can agree. Passing the law before the elections is a main goal. This law could change how minimum wages work in Cyprus. The final law will help workers and the economy.