Having received a report from its member from FTPAW about the dire financial situation in Cyprus and the seizure of money from working people’s bank accounts the EC wishes to express solidarity and support to all its Cypriot affiliated trade unions and their members;
Expresses concern regarding the situation unfolding in Cyprus and the impact of the bank bailout and the inevitable austerity measures which will harm working people who are being forced to bear the costs of the government’s policy mistakes and those of the banking and financial services sectors;
Believes that the business model of the Cypriot government, which saw minimum regulation, offshore banking, deregulated financial services and other forms of offshoring that have the potential to undermine transport workers in other member states, is the key cause of the current problems faced by the Cyprus economy;
Urges the Cypriot government to put transport workers and all working people of Cyprus at the heart of the economic recovery plan which must now be formulated and which should provide the basis for achieving sustainable long term economic prosperity for Cyprus that is not characterised by the undermining of European and global standards;
Resolves to provide solidarity support to Cypriot transport workers now and in the future as they work towards social justice and the building of a prosperous and sustainable future for their members and all working people and as they fight to establish a fair and equitable response to the dire financial difficulties faced by Cyprus.
(Adopted at the ETF Executive Committee meeting, 26 March 2013)
