Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Yiannis Panayiotou has conveyed the government’s commitment to adequate wages and dignified pensions promoting more social justice in citizens’ everyday life.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Labour, Panayiotou made the statements while addressing the Plenary of the ILO’s Global Coalition for Social Justice held in Geneva, on 13 June.

The Global Alliance was set up during the 2023 ILO Conference, aiming to promote social justice in the shaping of public policy and social dialogue between social partners, numbering more than 250 participants including governments, workers and employers’ organisations and other international organisations.

Cyprus was one of the first states to respond to the invitation by ILO Director-General, the Ministry said.

In his address, Panayiotou said universal and lasting peace can only be consolidated if it is based on social justice.

“This is what we are defending in this body for over a century and our commitment will continue to be in place for the years and generations to come,” he added.

Panayiotou stressed that the Cypriot government remains “dedicated to safeguarding better wages and better pensions, adequate income for all those actively participating in the labour market so we could maximize the economy’s capacity and to secure our citizens’ welfare.”

“Our government is determined to actively participate in the Global Alliance because we believe in its cause and we want our Alliance to succeed,” he said.