PASYDY
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PASYDY(Pancyprian Public Servants' Trade Union)
PASYDY, acronym for "Pankypria Syntechnia Dimosion Ypallilon" (Pancyprian Public Servants Trade Union) has followed a difficult course to become eventually one of the leading trade unions of Cyprus encompassing almost completely under its wings all white collar employees of the central government and having also in its ranks branches of employees of semi-state authorities and of foreign governments, such as the Cypriot employees of the civil administration of the British Bases in Cyprus.
PASYDY enjoys the respect of the trade union movement on the island and of the island's society in general, and this is in recognition of the leading role the Union plays in promoting the interests not only of its own members or those of the broader trade union movement of the country, but of the Cyprus people as a whole, pioneering on several occasions in massive popular mobilizations when circumstances so require.
At the international level the trade union of the public servants of Cyprus has developed relations with a wide range and spectrum of unions of all affiliations. PASYDY plays an active role as a member of EPSU (European Public Services Unions), and by extension of PSI (Public Services International), and their associated partners.
HISTORICAL BACKROUND
The first attempts of the civil servants of Cyprus to form a professional union date back to the 1920's. But they fell on rocky ground due to the conservatism of those times which interpreted such attempts as an undermining of the social order.
The first bid was made in 1924 but failed immediately and the next came two years later, in late 1926 and early 1927, by a group of progressive civil servants; at the time the civil service comprised both Cypriots (Greeks, Turks and others) and British expatriates who served on an overseas secondment from the Colonial Office.
On that occasion a pioneer group of Cypriot civil servants got together and decided to set up a professional association whose aim would be to defend the professional interests of its members. The move was the result of repeated press criticism about laziness in the civil service, with the civil servants blamed for the wretched economic situation of the country in those-days.
The pioneer group strongly protested the government inactivity to refute the press accusations and resolved to set up an Association and proceeded to the election of its first Committee.
The history of the Pancyprian Trade Union of Public Servants has not been static. The union has been continuously reorganizing its structure and operation, on the basis of new experiences gained and in the framework of efforts to adjust to new techniques and world developments and to offer the best possible service to its members.
Objectives of PASYDY
As laid down in its Rules and Constitution the objectives of PASYDY are:
1. To improve the terms and conditions of employment and protect the professional interests and rights of the public servants through collective negotiations with the Public Authority and/or through other lawful means.
2. To raise the cultural, moral and professional standard of its members.
3. To cultivate and develop comradeship amongst its members.
4. To promote and strengthen the unity of the trade union movement in Cyprus.
5. To cooperate with and/or join other trade unions in Cyprus and other foreign countries for the promotion and defense of common professional objectives and interests.
6. To establish cooperative organizations and any other institutions which promote the interests and welfare of its members.
7. To offer benefits and monetary aid to members and their dependents.
PASYDY being the sole trade union of all public servants of the island covers groups of a big variety of occupations with an enormous range of specialities and trade characteristics. Its members cover trades such as clerical, accounting, technical, postal services, forestry and agriculture, architects and doctors, educationists at the supervising level, diplomatic employees, administrators. The range of professions extends vertically and horizontally. The members of PASYDY start from the lowest grades and go up to the highest level. The Heads of Departments who are in effect within the management are also members of PASYDY with their own professional branch.
The wide range of professions covered and the interests represented, sometimes even conflicting in nature, have never been an obstacle in promoting the work and aims of the union. The distinctive special interests and affairs of the various groupings and professional categories are promoted at first instance by the Branches but when these culminate into general interests they are dealt with by the union leadership and the various bodies of the union setup which comprise representatives of all classes and professional branches and where the various issues are tackled and promoted with the overall interest being the criterion and not the special interest of any individual branch or occupation.
PASYDY has grown into a fully fledged trade union from the original civil service association which was functioning as a club and served as the meeting place of white collar government officials for socializing rather that examining their professional problems and promoting ways for settling them. Though PASYDY followed a parallel growth to that of the overall trade union movement of Cyprus it has still maintained its independence from and has not joined any of the federations and not linked itself with any political setup or orientation. In this way it has strictly maintained its purely professional status and has all the way enjoyed the all-out support of public servants of all political disciplines and directions. This is also the reason why the Pancyprian Public Servants Trade Union has always been enjoying high esteem in the island's society and its views are seriously taken into account as they are never seen in any political or ideological angle.
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The base and core of the union are the professional Branches. At present there are 80 such Branches of PASYDY, which elect their own Committees and their delegates to the Annual Conference of Delegates. All have a three-year term of office. The delegates elect the General Council of the Union and separately the General Secretary for a four-year term.
The Annual Conference of Delegates takes place during the months of March - July every year. Extraordinary Conferences may also be held, if developments so require provided this is decided by the General Council.
Professional Branches are represented with proportional representation in the General Council.
The General Council elects the Executive Committee of 23 members of whom 22 members are elected from amongst its members and the 24th is the General Secretary.
The various bodies of the Union and their functions are:
The General Council
The Union's affairs are administered by the General Council which has the final responsibility for the management of the affairs of the Union through the Executive Committee.
More specifically the General Council decides an all matters dealt by PASYDY in the framework and in accordance with the line decided by the annual conference of delegates.
Executive Committee - Central Secretariat
The Executive Committee is responsible for the implementation of the decisions of the Conference of Delegates and of the General Council and ensures that the Rules of the Union are observed.
The Executive Committee represents the General Council in the various negotiations and discussions with the Government and in the consultations and contacts required.
The Central Secretariat, which comprises the 9 top officials of the Union, is responsible for the performance of all necessary contacts for the promotion and achievement of the objectives of the Union, as these are determined by the Executive Committee and through the President and the General Secretary, or on their authority, carries out all correspondence of the union. The Central Secretariat meets whenever it is convened by the General Secretary in consultation with the President.
District Offices
PASYDY has district offices in all district towns of Cyprus and all members serving in the respective district are members of such Offices. As from 20.7.1974 due to the Turkish invasion and occupation of a large part of Cyprus by the Turkish troops, the district offices of Famagusta and Kyrenia have been displaced but for all respects and purposes the members who served in those districts on that date are deemed to be still members of the two displayed offices.
NEGOTIATING BODIES AND PROCESS
BETWEEN PASYDY AND THE GOVERNMENT
The collective bargaining mechanism between the Pancyprian Public Servants Trade Union PASYDY and the Government is operating through the Joint Staff Committee which functions under rules approved by the Council of Ministers and whose jurisdiction covers all terms and conditions of employment of the public service.
Objectives and jurisdiction
The general objectives of the Joint Staff Committee as defined in its Rules of Constitution are to safeguard maximum cooperation on matters affecting the Public Service between the Government of the Republic, in its capacity as employer, and the Public Service as a whole with a view to achieving increased productivity in the public service in conjunction with the welfare of the employees, and the provision of mechanisms for examination of representations by the union of the public servants, and for gathering experiences by its members for the common interest of the two parties and the public in general.
The Joint Staff Committee is the recognized official consultative body in the Public Service. It has jurisdiction to discuss the terms of employment of the public servants and submit proposals on such affairs to Government for consideration and approval.
The field of competence of the Joint Staff Committee comprises joint consultation on the following:
i. General principles on
- Appointments
- working hours
- promotions
- leave of absence
- medical and pharmaceutical treatment
- discipline
- emoluments for isolated posts, groupings of posts of the public service as a whole
- retirement benefits
- any other subjects affecting the terms of employment and conditions of service regarding any post or grouping of posts, or the public service as a whole.
Consultations in the Committee on the above or any other relevant matters, are confined to general principles and no individual cases are considered.
ii. Training and educational projects for public servants
iii. Ways and means for utilization of the ideas and experiences of public servants.
iv. Proposed legislation or amendment of existing legislation in so far as such legislation affects conditions of employment of the public servants.
v. Matters connected with the welfare of public servants.
Recommendations
The decisions and findings of the Committee are set out, following a consensus of the two Sides, in the form of recommendations to the Council of Ministers and are promoted to implementation in accordance with existing procedure. The recommendations are normally binding for each side but this in no way is interpreted as violating the inalienable authority of the Council of Ministers to reach final decisions contrary to the unanimous recommendation of the Committee when the Council of Ministers deems this necessary or expedient.
If a consensus is not reached on any one item, the conflicting views are recorded and referred to a Ministerial Committee for further consideration and submission to the Council of Ministers.
Unanimous decisions of the JSC are submitted to the Council of Ministers by the Minister of Finance, provided that before such submission to the Council the views of the JSC Ministerial Committee may also be asked.
The decision of the Council of Ministers on any matter dealt with at the Joint Staff Committee is notified to the public service by the Public Administration and Personnel Service of the Ministry of Finance in a circular which is official and binding for the Government.
In case of disagreement of the Council of Ministers with any recommendation of the JSC the latter is informed of this and if it consents, the procedure mentioned above is followed regarding notification of the decision to the public service. If the JSC sticks to its original stand and the disagreement persists the matter is referred again back to the cabinet for final decision or to a Council for Consideration of Complaints as provided in the rules for the JSC, according to the circumstances, and depending on the agreement of the parties.
TRIPARTITE LIAISON COMMITTEE
HOUSE - GOVERNMENT - PASYDY
In the framework of the mechanism for Collective Relations of the JSC a tripartite Liaison Committee is set up between the House of Representatives, the Government and PAYDY.
The Committee comprises one representative from the House (who must be a Member of the House), the Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Government side, and the President or the General Secretary on behalf of PASYDY.
The Tripartite Committee is functioning as permanent liaison for consultation between the House and the JSC, for mutual briefing on matters of Major importance while these are being considered in the JSC and which may involve substative economic expenditure.
MEMBERS WELFARE
In accordance with the objectives of the Union laid down in its Rules, PASYDY has expanded its activity to fields of members welfare with establishment of institutions and introduction of activities which are complementary to the trade union activity connected with the members' professional problems. These activities are the operation of a nursery, children's summer camp, seaside and mountain summer and holiday centers for members and families.
INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATION
PASYDY is affiliated to the Public Services International (PSI) and the European Federation of Public Servants' Trade Unions (EPSU). It is also member in the Mediterranean Group of PSI.
PASYDY (Pankypria Syntechnia Dimossion Ypallilon - Pancyprian
Public EmployeesTrade Union) is the trade union of the white collar public
servants of Cyprus. It also includes in its ranks the postal employees and
health workers (medical, nursing and paramedical) but not teachers of any
level of education. It does not cover also the employees of local
government authorities.
The members of the union of the public servants of Cyprus (15,000),
are organised in professional branches (76), which cover all grades in a
professional hierarchy. The branches cover the whole range of
professional status in the country's public service from the lowest of Office
Assistant to the top post of Director General or Permanent Secretary of
Ministries. Organised in PASYDY ranks are 98% of the white collar public
servants.
PASYDY has completed 70 years of life. It was founded in 1927 as the
Cyprus Civil Service Association operating in the first stages under the
Clubs Law and was gradually upgraded into full Trade Union status in the
60?s, functioning under the Trade Unions Law and aligned to world trade
union standards.
It is not affiliated to any of the Labour Federations of Cyprus but
closely cooperates with them for promotion of matters of common interest
to their members and the working people of Cyprus as a whole. In this
cooperation PASYDY loyally safeguards its independence.
PASYDY enjoys overall esteem and respect in the Cyprus society and
its opinions and views on questions of the whole people are given great
weight by decision making bodies.
PROFESSIONAL BRANCHES
1. Presidency, House of Parliament & Ministerial Council
2. Judicial Dept.
3. Legal Service
4. Audit Service
5. Defence Ministry
6. Agricultural Dept.
7. Veterinary Service
8. Forestry Dept.
9. Water Development Dept.
10. Geological Survey Dept.
11. Meteorology Service
12. Land Consolidation
13. Agricultural Research Institute
14. Fisheries Dept.
15. Prisons
16. Ministry of Commerce & Industry
17. Co-operative Development Dept.
18. Official Receiver & Registrar Dept.
19. Labour Dept.
20. Social Insurance Dept.
21. Welfare Services
22. Higher Hotel Institute
23. Higher Technical Institute
24. Productivity Centre
25. Ministry of Interior - Technical Services
26. Town Planning & Housing
27. Lands Dept.
28. Surveys Dept.
29. Press & Information Office
30. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
31. Ministry of Finance
32. Treasury
33. Customs & Excise Dept.
34. Inland Revenue Dept.
35. Statistics & Research Dept.
36. State Stores Dept.
37. Printing Office
38. Electronic Data Processing Services
39. Planning Bureau
40. Secondary Education Inspectors
41. Special Schools
42. School Clerks
43. Ministry of Education & Culture - Cultural Services
44. Ministry of Education & Culture - Technical Services
45. Public Works Dept.
46. Antiquities Dept.
47. Civil Aviation Dept.
48. Merchant Shipping Dept.
49. Postal Dept.
50. Inland Transport Dept.
51. Electrical & Mechanical Services
52. Medical Officers
53. Hospital Clinical Laboratory
54. Health Inspectors
55. General Nursing Staff
56.Radiography, Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy
57. Catering Dept.
58. Psychiatric Services
59.Dental Services
60. Pharmaceutical Dept.
61. General Chemical Laboratory
62. Directors (Government Depts)
63. General Administrative Staff
64. General Clerical Staff
65. Stenographers
66. Telephone Operators
67. Office Assistants
68. Pensioners
69. Ports Authority
70. Agricultural insurance Organisation
71. Cyprus Dairy Industry Organisation
72. Local Staff of British Bases (SBAA)
73. Local Staff of British Bases (ENYBA)
74. University of Cyprus (Clerical & Administrative Staff)
75. Game Preservation Fund
76. Limassol Sewers Board
DISTRICT COUNCILS
1. Nicosia
2. Kyrenia
3. Famagusta
4. Larnaca
5. Limassol
6. Paphos
GOVERNING BODIES
Central Secretariat
Executive Committee
General Council
Congress
CENTRAL SECRETARIAT
Andreas Christodoulou - President
Glafkos Hadjipetrou - General Secretary
Antonis Koutsoulis - Vice President
George Flourentzos - Acting General Secretary
Yiannis Filippou - Acting General Secretary
George Charalampous - Secretary
Stratis Matheou - Treasurer
Kyriacos Tsolakis - Acting Secretary
Nana Achilleos - Acting Treasurer
Address: 3, Demosthenis Severis Avenue, 1066 Nicosia, Cyprus
Tel + 357 22 844445 - Fax + 357 22 665199