HELP – Penalty charge for apparently

employing illegal workers

By Chris Elliott…….

We have seen a comment thread “HELP-Penalty charge for apparently employing illegal workers” on North Cyprus Forum where the author explained he had, following recommendations, asked a builder to carry out some building repair work and after 3 days he had a visit from two labour office inspectors who advised him he would be fined for employing workers who did not have work permits.

Following various offers of advice he reported back that he had visited the Labour office and was being told it was his responsibility to get the builder with whom he had made an agreement, to go to the labour office to explain why they were using workers without work permits. To read the full discussion please click here.

Until they do so, the complainant is still being held responsible and will be fined 33,500 TL we understand from his comments.

The whole question of illegal working has been very much in the news in the last 4 months with a bitter dispute by illegal entertainers with the entertainers employed by All Star Agency Promotions (ASAP). The Cyprus Today newspaper in their 6th June 2015 edition reported:

“Head of the TRNC Employment Office Ismail Bayhanli , who told Cyprus Today last month there was no money for his staff to work nights in order to root out unlicensed performers, said this week an overtime budget had been received and spot checks had now begun.”

He added that legal entertainers were right to support the law and warned “Illegal entertainers will be deported if caught, unless they own a house in the TRNC”  Click here to view this news clipping.

We have now nearly reached the end of August and over the past few months the newspapers and social media pages have seen many notices of illegal entertainers who were going to perform but so far there have been no reports in the media of the authorities cracking down on illegal entertainers and those venues that use them. We also understand from ASAP that they were asked a few weeks ago by the local labour office for proof of intended performances by illegal entertainers but the outcome of that enquiry has not been reported.

After 4 months Ahmet Aşik has now decided to place ASAP agency up for sale or close it as he feels that the promised support to enforce the law on illegal entertainers has not been seen to have been given and his employees have been the victims of this lack of support.

Tragically the potential closure of ASAP that has been operating for 3 years as the only agency that could help expatriates gain a work permits as entertainers could perhaps have led through further discussion with the government, to expatriate artisans also being able gain work permits through an agency with the obvious flow of huge revenue into the government coffers.

We are so close now to a situation where there will be no legal expatriate entertainers in North Cyprus as the only agency that can employ them may close. It makes you wonder whether the authorities care for those expatriates who want to contribute to the TRNC by obeying the laws of the land and what the authorities will do in future to control the undoubted increase in illegal entertainers in North Cyprus and this can only encourage other illegal workers to do what they want without fear of being stopped.

To read the full story concerning the bitter dispute by illegal entertainers with the entertainers employed by All Star Agency Promotions (ASAP) please click here