Sentidokomon

By Cathrine Beatty

After nearly two-decades of no changes to the minimum salary for domestic helpers, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cyprus has finally approved the increase for the minimum salary of all domestic helpers and carers on 24th October 2007. The new minimum salary for all domestic helpers/carers have been increased from CY£150.00 (€256.29) to CY£165.00 (€281.92) per calendar month, an increase of 10% with effect from November 2007. Speaking to Mrs. Athina Constantinou from the Department of Social Insurance, District Office in Nicosia, she confirmed that since the beginning of January 2008, employers have started paying € 66.83 (CY£39.11) per month for their employees’ Social Insurance contributions, an extra cost of €5.76 per month from the employers pocket. The gross salary applicable for the calculation of the new contribution is CY£240.00 (€410.00) per month. The increase will come as a relief to most domestic helpers as they also felt the increase in the cost of living since the adoption of the Euro currency in Cyprus. The majority of domestic helpers on the island are still receiving the minimum salary of CY£150.00 (€256.29) per month, even if they have been working for the same employer for several years. Some domestic helpers who are fortunate to have kind and generous employers have had their salary increased since the implementation of the new law. Separately, since March 2007, the Governing Board of the POEA, through a series of Resolutions issued in 2006, have effectively increased the entry-level minimum salary for overseas domestic helpers to $400 (Resolution No. 5, Series of 2006) per month. Most of the Filipino domestic helpers who came to Cyprus last year have benefited from this regulation as confirmed by a number of Filipinos who say they are receiving a monthly salary of CY£180.00 (€307.55), which is in today’s rate is just above USD 450.00. (Sa mga kababayan natin mga Filipino, kung halimbawa hindi sinusunod ng mga employer ninyo ang bagong patakaran na ito, puede kayong tumawag sa Department of Social Insurance, telephone no. 22-409730, para mapatunayan ninyo sa inyong mga employer na ito ay totoo.)