Larnaca, Cyprus. A 51-year-old man was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly damaging the windshields of five vehicles belonging to Social Welfare Services employees outside the Agioi Anargyroi office in Larnaca. Police said the incident is under investigation.
Union announces work stoppage
In response to the incident, the social services branch of the trade union Isotita announced a work stoppage outside the office from 11am to 1pm and called for greater protection for employees, saying the incident was not an isolated one.
Concerns over employee safety
In a statement, the union said Social Welfare Services employees have for years faced incidents of aggression, threats, intimidation and violence. It said the damage to employee vehicles was significant in this case, alleging that the perpetrator smashed the windows with a metal bar.
Calls for security measures
Isotita said meetings have been held and proposals submitted regarding workplace safety, but measures were never fully implemented and the issue of security remains unresolved. It called on the director’s office of Social Welfare Services and the deputy ministry of social welfare to immediately implement specific, effective and fully functional security measures at all offices, adding that some offices have malfunctioning or nonfunctioning security systems.
Previous appeals
The union said it has previously called for improved security measures multiple times, including after break-ins at Social Welfare Services offices in February and August last year. It added that, alongside social service employees, residents visiting the offices and security guards also face potential harm if security measures are not improved.