CHANGES IN THE EMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN STUDENTS - Filenews 7/3 by Angelos Angelodimou
Changes in the employment of foreign students from third countries are brought by the new decree issued by the Minister of Labour Marinos Mousiouttas and which was published yesterday in the Official Gazette of the Republic. This issue has long been a point of discussion between the social partners, as it was a settlement which, under the circumstances, could provide a solution to the part of finding a new workforce.
As indicatively stated in the relevant decree, the decision of the Minister of Labour provides that:
The employment of third-country nationals, who are in the Republic as students, in the following sectors of economic activity and professions is allowed, provided that they have completed their first academic semester of studies and have enrolled in the second academic semester.
A prerequisite is the submission of a certificate of full-time studies and a document with the study schedule from a recognized study institution, the student's monthly work schedule from the employer, a copy of the student's residence permit in the Republic of Cyprus and the securing of an employment contract with a specific employer, certified by the Department of Labour, in which the main terms of employment will be indicated.
In detail, the economic activity and the professions provided for in the decree:
(a) Trade (Wholesale and Retail) – Repairs: Porter of loading and unloading, worker of petrol stations – car washes.
(b) Health – Social Care: Caregiver of homes for the elderly, provided that the provisions of the relevant Legislation are met. Ward Assistant in Clinics, provided that he/she holds a secondary school diploma and elementary knowledge of the Greek language.
(c) Household activities: Occasional domestic work.
(d) Processing: Worker of bakeries, feed units, waste recycling. Night shift worker in manufacturing industries.
(e) Agriculture – Livestock – Fishing, Animal Shelters and Hotels: Agricultural Worker, Livestock Farming, Fisheries, Animal Caretaker.
(f) Provision of Services: Building cleaner, Sewerage worker, Distributor of advertising/informational mail, Distributor of ready-to-eat food.
(h) Food Sector: Ready Food Distributor, Kitchen Assistant, Cleaner, Waiter (exclusively in Restaurants/Leisure Centers), Bartender/Bartender (exclusively in Restaurants/Leisure Centers).
(i) Hotel sector: Kitchen assistant, Cleaner, Maid, Waiter, Receptionist, Bartender.
OEB, in a statement, calls on businesses to be informed about the provisions of the new Decree and to ensure that the employment of students from third countries is carried out in accordance with the current regulatory framework. For his part, the General Secretary of SEK, Andreas Matsas, noted that it would be preferable to regulate the issue of foreign workers from third countries as a whole and in the context of this, the part concerning students should also be included. At the same time, he expressed the hope that this point will not be exploited by some employers, so that there will be even greater deregulation of the labour market.
