Pafos Live 25 June 2023
With the intervention of the District Officer of Pafos, Mary Lambrou, the mobilization announced for Tuesday 27 June by the lifeguards of Pafos is suspended for at least two weeks.
At a general meeting of the Professional Beach Lifeguards of the Pafos District, the problems they face in the performance of their duties were discussed. There are currently 13 vacancies for lifeguards, resulting in several towers being understaffed and underfunctioning.
The beaches of Banya, SODAP and Polis Chrysochous Beach, which operate all year round, must be staffed with at least five more 12-month lifeguards, a justified request which, despite the intense efforts of the lifeguards themselves and their guilds in recent years, has not yet been implemented. There is also a need to proceed immediately with the procedures for upgrading and improving towers and infrastructure and providing lifeguards with appropriate equipment. There is a beach where there is no tower, while on some beaches the towers are unsuitable, endangering the safety and health of lifeguards.
In a meeting with the District Officer of Pafos, Mary Lambrou, assurances were given that the procedures for the recruitment needed for the beaches that operate all year round are proceeding immediately, while the procedures for both the replacement or improvement of the towers and the lifeguards' equipment are being accelerated.
It is noted that despite the efforts made so far, interest in hiring lifeguards has been limited. The unions and workers pledged to suspend their mobilizations for 15 days in order to give the state time to proceed with the implementation of the agreements.
