Culture ministry staff stage one-hour walkout over proposed budget changes

Nicosia, Cyprus. Staff at the culture ministry held a one-hour spontaneous work stoppage on Wednesday morning, protesting against proposed budget changes which Pasydy said would centralise control under the ministry’s director-general.

The walkout involved all ministry staff and took place from 9am to 10am.

Budget concerns

Pasydy said the proposed changes had been pursued without prior information or consultation with the directors of the ministry’s departments or Culture Deputy Minister Clea Papaellinas.

According to the union, the changes would centralise control over most departmental responsibilities, including responsibility for implementing projects and programmes.

Pasydy said this would remove the autonomy of departments and reduce the administrative role of their directors.

Oversight and delays

The union said staff were concerned that the director-general had already sought to sideline and marginalise departmental directors, and that this was now escalating through the proposed budget changes.

It added that, if the amendments were approved, oversight, monitoring and approval of all financial transactions at the ministry would be concentrated in one person’s hands.

Pasydy also cited repeated delays in the director-general’s approval of matters, which it said had resulted in ministry actions being delayed or not implemented.

Allegations over workplace conduct

The union alleged continued interference in the work of individual departments and the imposition of unilateral decisions on matters that fall under the responsibility of their respective directors.

Pasydy further accused the director-general of “dismissive behaviour” towards staff, saying it had created an “intimidating, insulting and aggressive working environment”.