The importance of the Cyprus Trade Union Forum for the effort to building trust and cooperation between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots and the building of a common vision for Cyprus was highlighted during a discussion at the extraordinary meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Workers’ Group held on Wednesday afternoon in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Nicosia.
In his statement, Andreas Matsas, Secretary General of SEK, noted that the aim of the discussion was to present the reality of Cyprus from the perspective of society and trade unions, an their actively contribution to the effort to resolve the Cyprus problem.
As he noted, the Cypriot reality remains difficult to understand for citizens of other European countries, as the division of the island continues to affect the daily life of citizens.
Matsas stressed that the cooperation of the trade unions has helped to overcome stereotypes and divisions that for decades have characterized the two communities, and maintained continuous cooperation on issues concerning workers and the prospects for the reunification of the country.
“We have succeeded in overcoming our fears. We have succeeded in overcoming our ideological, or any other differences and building a perspective that is beneficial for all Cypriots, regardless of whether they are Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots,” he said. He also noted that through joint studies and declarations, the unions seek to shape the conditions for a unified framework of labour relations and social protection in a reunited Cyprus.
Matsas said that since its inception, the Forum has sought to create a commonly accepted structure of cooperation, with the aim of conveying to political leaders the message that society can move forward through dialogue and common human values.
“The basic premise from the beginning was that we as trade unionists, as a society, should be able to go beyond politicians and be able to send a message on basic human principles and values,” he concluded.
Sotiroula Charalambous, the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO) Secretary General, said that during yesterday’s discussion at the EESC Session, the priorities of the trade union movement in Cyprus regarding the issues of concern to workers had been mentioned, adding that “they are very important, but all of them are overshadowed by the fact that our country remains divided and the ruling class of Cyprus remains divided”.
She said that the trade union movement in Cyprus – the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot trade union organisations – can be described as pioneers in terms of trying to bring workers from the two communities closer together and trying to build a common vision “of how we want Cyprus to be”.
She added that there is an agreement that “division cannot be the future of our country and the future of the workers” and said that efforts have been made through the conferences, the pan-union forum conferences, “to put down on paper what we expect and want from a future solution”.
She stressed the commitment of the trade unions on both sides to a bicommunal federal solution as outlined by the United Nations and by the high-level agreements between the two leaders. “Writing down in the basic principles that we believe the solution should include the right of workers and all Cypriots to move freely and work freely in any part of Cyprus,” she said.
Charalampous noted that what is most important is the resumption of talks, expressing concern that “as long as the situation remains as it is, the division is being perpetuated”.
The importance of public knowledge and information
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The importance of shared knowledge and reliable information as a prerequisite for dialogue and cooperation in divided societies was highlighted in the presentation “Labour Market Guide: why shared knowledge matters” by Maria Zeniou and Erbay Akansoy on behalf of the Cyprus Dialogue Forum Secretariat.
According to the presenters, the lack of shared knowledge is a major obstacle to dialogue, as data is collected and interpreted separately by different communities, creating conflicting perceptions of reality. As a result, information often becomes a tool for division, trust in data is reduced and stakeholder positions become entrenched.
The presentation highlighted the role of the Cyprus Dialogue Forum as a permanent, inclusive and ongoing dialogue process, as well as the role of the Labour Market Task Group, which brings together social partners and organisations from both communities. It was also mentioned that the common objective of the group is to formulate a single and fair framework for the labour market, both in the Cyprus settlement process and in a future reunited Cyprus.
The presentation concluded that the creation of common knowledge contributes to the development of a common perception of reality and, by extension, a common responsibility towards the challenges of the labour market.
Matsas commented that limited knowledge or even the manipulation of knowledge is worse than the absence of knowledge, and expressed the importance of the ability to communicate “to each other in a more genuine way”.
For his part, Cevdet Özgr, representative of TURK-SEN said that discussions between the two communities in relation to working life in the peace process are ongoing, focusing on areas such as education, health and the social security system, while expressing the view that the joint effort of trade unions in the country is of great importance.