Construction Labor Shortage: 4,000 Workers Needed

The Cyprus Federation of Building Contractors (OSEOK) raised the serious issue of labor shortages in the construction industry with the Minister of Labor. According to OSEOK, there is a need for 4,000 workers to ensure the smooth continuation of operations.

OSEOK President Stelios Gavriil, along with General Manager Yiannos Poumpouris and members of the Central Council, discussed the challenges of the construction sector with Yiannis Panagiotou, focusing on the employment procedures for workers from third countries.

Mr. Gavriil stressed the need to resolve distortions in recruitment procedures and proposed the signing of interstate agreements with countries such as India and Egypt to meet the needs.

He also mentioned that applications for newly arrived workers are rejected, while applications for workers with higher wages are approved, creating an additional financial burden on contractors. Several projects have been halted due to the lack of workers, leading to delays.