The Occupational Safety Union demanded the withdrawal of the labor protection bill

The Occupational Safety and Health Union issued a written statement on January 23, calling on the Republican Assembly of Northern Cyprus to withdraw the draft law on amendments to labor protection legislation, which had been approved by the committee and forwarded to the General Assembly.

The statement notes that the Committee on Legal, Political, Foreign Relations, and Defense Affairs reviewed the amendments for three weeks and voted to send them to the General Assembly by a majority. Union representatives point out that during the sessions, invited stakeholders repeatedly warned that the proposed changes would not address the issue of employer detention in fatal accidents, and on the contrary, would reduce employer accountability and make the process uncertain.

The union asserts that the proposed amendments carry serious risks for workers’ right to life and are unacceptable in their current form. The document also criticizes a temporary clause applying the new rules to cases already under review, which the union argues violates the principle of legal certainty and acquired rights.

The statement emphasizes that if the bill is approved, control mechanisms will weaken, safety will become a formality, and this will lead to an increase in accidents and occupational diseases. The union urges deputies not to pass the bill and to withdraw it at the General Assembly stage, stressing that occupational safety is not an expense, but a guarantee of human life.