Cyprus-Forum.com

[Pyrpolizer]

I really really pity the young generation.

Look what happens when you work for peanuts in the private sector
a)They have no other option than continue living with their parents until the age of 30-35. Just managing to cover their own personal expenses.
b)They make a girlfriend/boyfriend and they just live together for so many years. Usually a baby comes and even then they cannot get married because the salary of BOTH cannot sustain a home of their own.
c)They get as old as 35-40 to finally get married.

Ask anybody who lives in Cyprus to tell you how many weddings has he attended lately where there was ALSO one baby/child getting the blessings of the priest :LOL:

[Paphitis]

Yes there is a minimum salary and that's about 850 Euros per month (If you are paid on a monthly basis). You will be surprised how many people in the private sector get just a little above the minimum salary say about 900 Euros.
The new fashion in the private sector however is not to pay on a monthly basis but pay with the HOUR. Say 4-4.25 Euros per hour. Hence a poor person getting paid by the hour (6 days a week by 8 hours a day=48 hours!!!) just manages to get the MINIMUM salary.
One of my sons friend was getting 1400 Euros per month. Now with this crisis they told him either you leave or you stay working half hours and HALF salary. What option did he have?. Today he works as "part timer" for 700 Euros per month which is not enough even for his personal expenses.

The argument that it is not that the public servants get huge salaries but the private sector underpaying it's employees was ALWAYS the main defense of the public servants. In other words they say "why do you want our salaries to go down, push your bosses in the private sector to give you higher salaries, organize yourselves go on strike etc."

The truth behind this is that it is the private sector that makes an economy. In the private sector everyone is free to leave his job and take another with better salary. The problem is there are not enough jobs around to make this competition turn in favor of the employee. Furthermore the private sector consists of mostly "family business" in other words 3-4 family members run the business and hold the "highly paid jobs" and they may employ another say 10 people for the lower paid jobs. And there is a plethora of unemployed people around willing to take the lower paid jobs.

So how could anyone push the private sector to give higher salaries when there is not enough work to start with?

In conclusion since the salaries in the private sector in this free economy cannot go up, and since they are proven to be at levels half than those of the public sector employees ever since the 80s, and since it is the private sector that works to pay the public servants, THEN the salaries of the public servants should go down to match those in the private sector.

Or else the state will soon go bankrupt.

Everyting you state above makes sense Pyro.

However, the only way to push the Private Sector to pay higher salaries is to RAISE the minimum wage to let's say 1500 Euros a month (I even think that is low but at least it is a step in the right direction).

There will be more unemployed I know, but it is better to have some unemployed than having all workers exploited with low pay.

[Pyrpolizer]

Yes there is a minimum salary and that's about 850 Euros per month (If you are paid on a monthly basis). You will be surprised how many people in the private sector get just a little above the minimum salary say about 900 Euros.
The new fashion in the private sector however is not to pay on a monthly basis but pay with the HOUR. Say 4-4.25 Euros per hour. Hence a poor person getting paid by the hour (6 days a week by 8 hours a day=48 hours!!!) just manages to get the MINIMUM salary.
One of my sons friend was getting 1400 Euros per month. Now with this crisis they told him either you leave or you stay working half hours and HALF salary. What option did he have?. Today he works as "part timer" for 700 Euros per month which is not enough even for his personal expenses.

The argument that it is not that the public servants get huge salaries but the private sector underpaying it's employees was ALWAYS the main defense of the public servants. In other words they say "why do you want our salaries to go down, push your bosses in the private sector to give you higher salaries, organize yourselves go on strike etc."

The truth behind this is that it is the private sector that makes an economy. In the private sector everyone is free to leave his job and take another with better salary. The problem is there are not enough jobs around to make this competition turn in favor of the employee. Furthermore the private sector consists of mostly "family business" in other words 3-4 family members run the business and hold the "highly paid jobs" and they may employ another say 10 people for the lower paid jobs. And there is a plethora of unemployed people around willing to take the lower paid jobs.

So how could anyone push the private sector to give higher salaries when there is not enough work to start with?

In conclusion since the salaries in the private sector in this free economy cannot go up, and since they are proven to be at levels half than those of the public sector employees ever since the 80s, and since it is the private sector that works to pay the public servants, THEN the salaries of the public servants should go down to match those in the private sector.

Or else the state will soon go bankrupt.

Everyting you state above makes sense Pyro.

However, the only way to push the Private Sector to pay higher salaries is to RAISE the minimum wage to let's say 1500 Euros a month (I even think that is low but at least it is a step in the right direction).

There will be more unemployed I know, but it is better to have some unemployed than having all workers exploited with low pay.

I don;t know if this can be done and result in increase of unemployment ONLY.
Imo half the business in the private sector will close down because they don't make such profits to pay almost double salaries. Bear in mind that if you almost double the minimum salaries then you will have to proportionally increase the other salaries as well. And in the long run (say within 2 years) the inflation will scyrocket. Unfortunately all our private sector is just services. We have no industry.

Just for the information of the forum the minimum salary was about 800 Euros until a few weeks ago, and the Minister has raised it by 50 Euros...

[Pyrpolizer]

And don't forget the thousands of Romanians, Bulgarians et al who are coming here (because of the EU) and are extremely happy to work for minimum salary,because in Romania or Bulgaria they don't get even 1/4 of that!!

Anyone wonders why the Romanians are the HAPPIEST people in the RoC today??

Within a couple of years they buy a house in Romania for as low as 20K euros...

[Paphitis]

Yes there is a minimum salary and that's about 850 Euros per month (If you are paid on a monthly basis). You will be surprised how many people in the private sector get just a little above the minimum salary say about 900 Euros.
The new fashion in the private sector however is not to pay on a monthly basis but pay with the HOUR. Say 4-4.25 Euros per hour. Hence a poor person getting paid by the hour (6 days a week by 8 hours a day=48 hours!!!) just manages to get the MINIMUM salary.
One of my sons friend was getting 1400 Euros per month. Now with this crisis they told him either you leave or you stay working half hours and HALF salary. What option did he have?. Today he works as "part timer" for 700 Euros per month which is not enough even for his personal expenses.

The argument that it is not that the public servants get huge salaries but the private sector underpaying it's employees was ALWAYS the main defense of the public servants. In other words they say "why do you want our salaries to go down, push your bosses in the private sector to give you higher salaries, organize yourselves go on strike etc."

The truth behind this is that it is the private sector that makes an economy. In the private sector everyone is free to leave his job and take another with better salary. The problem is there are not enough jobs around to make this competition turn in favor of the employee. Furthermore the private sector consists of mostly "family business" in other words 3-4 family members run the business and hold the "highly paid jobs" and they may employ another say 10 people for the lower paid jobs. And there is a plethora of unemployed people around willing to take the lower paid jobs.

So how could anyone push the private sector to give higher salaries when there is not enough work to start with?

In conclusion since the salaries in the private sector in this free economy cannot go up, and since they are proven to be at levels half than those of the public sector employees ever since the 80s, and since it is the private sector that works to pay the public servants, THEN the salaries of the public servants should go down to match those in the private sector.

Or else the state will soon go bankrupt.

Everyting you state above makes sense Pyro.

However, the only way to push the Private Sector to pay higher salaries is to RAISE the minimum wage to let's say 1500 Euros a month (I even think that is low but at least it is a step in the right direction).

There will be more unemployed I know, but it is better to have some unemployed than having all workers exploited with low pay.

I don;t know if this can be done and result in increase of unemployment ONLY.
Imo half the business in the private sector will close down because they don't make such profits to pay almost double salaries. Bear in mind that if you almost double the minimum salaries then you will have to proportionally increase the other salaries as well. And in the long run (say within 2 years) the inflation will scyrocket. Unfortunately all our private sector is just services. We have no industry.

Just for the information of the forum the minimum salary was about 800 Euros until a few weeks ago, and the Minister has raised it by 50 Euros...

I bet you that there are plenty of businesses making high enough profits and can afford to pay their workers more money.

They don't, because legally, they are only obligated to pay 850 Euros.

As far the very small family businesses are concerned, well they can work their business themselves, if they can't afford to pay higher salaries.

Yes, I agree. With any massive increase in wages, inflation will rise. This will put pressure on interest rates. It might not be a very good solution.

But the minimum wage needs to be increased. Over time, the gap between the Public and Private sector should be eroded.

The minimum wage in Cyprus is a real joke.

Personally, I don't believe the Public sector is overpaid. The private sector is chronically underpaid. And both should have similar retirement schemes and benefits.

Personally, if I moved to Cyprus, I wouldn't work for anyone, not even the Public Sector. It is all a bit of a joke really. I would certainly never push my kids to get a Public Sector job in Cyprus. It's an absolute dead end, and personally, I would encourage and support them to achieve better, in business perhaps.

[Pyrpolizer]

Perhaps you are right Paphitis. Perhaps they could raise the minimum salaries say by 100 Euros a year and see what happens.
I don't know why they don't do it. This situation goes on from some years after 1974 until today. And the injustice came to the point that is hardly bearable...

[Paphitis]

Perhaps you are right Paphitis. Perhaps they could raise the minimum salaries say by 100 Euros a year and see what happens.
I don't know why they don't do it. This situation goes on from some years after 1974 until today. And the injustice came to the point that is hardly bearable...

Yeh, I think something needs to be done about that minimum wage.

100 Euros a year, whilst freezing the Public Sector salaries for 5-6 years whilst the Public sector catches up.

The young have got it really tough I'm sorry to say! Imagine a young couple trying to buy a house without family support.

In 2007, I was offered a job in the Greek Public Sector within Olympic Airways. I was offered 2,500 Euros per month as a starting salary for an FO slot on B737-400. I did not accept!

2,500 Euros!!!! Every bloody month!

30,000 Euros per annum....

No way mate!

[Pyrpolizer]

Perhaps you are right Paphitis. Perhaps they could raise the minimum salaries say by 100 Euros a year and see what happens.
I don't know why they don't do it. This situation goes on from some years after 1974 until today. And the injustice came to the point that is hardly bearable...

Yeh, I think something needs to be done about that minimum wage.

100 Euros a year, whilst freezing the Public Sector salaries for 5-6 years whilst the Public sector catches up.

The young have got it really tough I'm sorry to say! Imagine a young couple trying to buy a house without family support.

In 2007, I was offered a job in the Greek Public Sector within Olympic Airways. I was offered 2,500 Euros per month as a starting salary for an FO slot on B737-400. I did not accept!

2,500 Euros!!!! Every bloody month!

30,000 Euros per annum....

No way mate!

Pilots are very highly paid in Cyprus Airways and at Eurocypria that closed down. About 5000 Euros a month... But then again that's also against the tax payer, because both show up about 20 million damages per year that the tax payer pays. After closing down Eurocypria, next in que is Cyprus Airways (The EU does not allow any more subsidies)

So i bet those Cyprus Airways Pilots will also learn a lesson in a few years

Anyway what the minimum salary in Australia Paphitis?

[Paphitis]

Perhaps you are right Paphitis. Perhaps they could raise the minimum salaries say by 100 Euros a year and see what happens.
I don't know why they don't do it. This situation goes on from some years after 1974 until today. And the injustice came to the point that is hardly bearable...

Yeh, I think something needs to be done about that minimum wage.

100 Euros a year, whilst freezing the Public Sector salaries for 5-6 years whilst the Public sector catches up.

The young have got it really tough I'm sorry to say! Imagine a young couple trying to buy a house without family support.

In 2007, I was offered a job in the Greek Public Sector within Olympic Airways. I was offered 2,500 Euros per month as a starting salary for an FO slot on B737-400. I did not accept!

2,500 Euros!!!! Every bloody month!

30,000 Euros per annum....

No way mate!

Pilots are very highly paid in Cyprus Airways and at Eurocypria that closed down. About 5000 Euros a month... But then again that's also against the tax payer, because both show up about 20 million damages per year that the tax payer pays. After closing down Eurocypria, next in que is Cyprus Airways (The EU does not allow any more subsidies)

So i bet those Cyprus Airways Pilots will also learn a lesson in a few years

Anyway what the minimum salary in Australia Paphitis?

I am not sure what the minimum salary is to be honest.

Probably about 40,000 AUD per annum. However, Australian Business seem to be happy to pay far more for experience and qualifications and there is a skills shortage driving wages even higher. This is creating inflation. We have high inflation at the moment because of this.

The Average Wage is about 65,000 AUD per annum = 46,150 Euros = 3,846 Euros per month.

Cyprus Airways is better than Olympic, but 5,000 Euros per month is not enough Pyro! This is not industry standard, and because of that Cyprus Airways will not attract the best and most experienced flight crews.

It's probably the same all over the world. 40,000 AUD is low, and I don't believe this would cover normal city living expenses, let alone allow you to buy a house. Things are very expensive in Australia. Real Estate prices are the highest in the world because the mining boom is driving prices sky high. It is OK if you work in that industry, but if you are in retail and on the minimum wage, then forget it!

[Pyrpolizer]

Therefore here we work for peanuts my friend. And imagine Cyprus is supposed to be average EU Country LOL