BWI, represented by its Regional Representative for Europe, Genevieve Kalina, attended the Congress of the Builders’ Union (FCMW-SEK) on 30 September 2025 in Nicosia, Cyprus, which gathered around 100 construction workers from different regions. The event marked BWI’s return to Cyprus to renew ties with the union and its members after a long absence, underscoring the importance of unions being fully integrated, with the BWI-affiliated FCIW-Podkrepa from Bulgaria also joining the congress.

Stelios Tsiapoutis, the union’s general secretary, underscored the need to reinvent the union to communicate and respond better to workers’ demands, and to focus on broadening the union membership by targeting new companies. He stressed that the construction sector in Cyprus faces numerous difficulties. He also discussed the importance of health and safety for workers in construction, given the low number of labour inspectors. He insisted on improving the minimum wage, the cost of living allowance, and renewing the collective agreements in place.

 BWI’s message to the union focused on the challenges workers face in Europe and globally, including, among others, informal work, lack of social protection, social dumping, subcontracting, and health and safety. BWI also reminded everyone how the climate crisis is affecting workers in the region, and informed the participants of its Too hot to work campaign “Europe works to reduce emissions from construction and building materials, but we have to ensure that the green transition includes workers and their unions. The shift to a low-carbon economy must create new opportunities for decent work, safer workplaces, and better conditions for all,” Kalina said.

For its part, the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs discussed the regulation of the labour market, the renewal of the collective agreements, mandatory training on health and safety, the relationship with the union, and the positive work which was carried out by his ministry.