Nicosia, Cyprus. Hourly paid government employees in Cyprus will stage a 24-hour nationwide strike next Wednesday after trade unions accused the finance ministry of delaying negotiations on a new agreement covering 2025 to 2027. The unions said efforts to renew the agreement have stalled despite proposals being submitted more than a year ago.
Unions announce strike action
The decision was announced by the unions representing hourly paid state workers. They said repeated delays have prevented substantive discussions on pay and working conditions for one of the lowest paid groups in the public sector.
Joint statement on stalled negotiations
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the civil servants’ union Oekdy-Sek, the worker’s federation Peo, and the democratic labour union Deok said the finance ministry has failed to engage in meaningful dialogue. They added that the reasons put forward for the delay do not justify the prolonged absence of negotiations.
Pay and benefits at the centre of dispute
The dispute centres on demands for salary increases and improved employment benefits. Union representatives said many hourly paid government employees receive wages close to Cyprus’ statutory minimum wage and face increasing difficulty meeting basic living expenses.
Size and roles of the workforce
According to the unions, about 7,500 hourly paid employees work across ministries and government departments, while a further 1,700 are employed by the state health services organisation Okypy. The workforce includes employees in technical, maintenance, operational and support roles.
Call for renewed agreement
The unions said improving salaries and conditions is essential to ensuring a decent standard of living for workers, describing hourly paid personnel as among the lowest paid categories of employees in the country. They called on the government to implement measures that provide tangible support and to conclude negotiations on a renewed agreement without further delay.
