Cyprus will be gripped by a strike tomorrow due to the vigorous protests being staged by hourly-wage public service employees. Hourly-paid government employees number 7,5 thousand employees across all ministries and government departments and approximately 1,700 at the State Health Services Organization. 

In a joint statement, the trade unions OEKDY SEK, PASYEK, PEO, and DEE, KDOKO, and DEOK call on the government “to grant pay raises to its low-wage workers, even at this late stage,” and warn that “if the entire process does not move forward and an agreement is not reached to renew the collective bargaining agreement for the years 2025–2027, strike action will escalate.”

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Protesters are expected to gather at 10:00 a.m., outside the Ministry of Finance in Nicosia, after which participants will march toward the Presidential Palace.

Due to the event and the march, roads and areas near the Ministry of Finance, Byron Avenue, and the Presidential Palace are expected to be temporarily affected. According to an announcement, the police will take all necessary measures to ensure public order and safety, as well as to facilitate traffic flow.

READ ALSO: Here’s how emergency medical services and hospitals will operate ahead of the 24-hour strike by hourly-wage government employees

Due to the 24-hour strike by hourly-paid government employees, the Organization of State Health Services (OKYPY) informs the public that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the continued provision of health services at public hospitals and health centers. Throughout the strike, public hospitals will operate with a skeleton staff, with the safety of patients and the uninterrupted management of emergencies as the top priority.

Specifically:

• Accident and Emergency Departments (AEDs) will operate as usual.
• Care for hospitalized patients will continue uninterrupted.
• There may be delays or rescheduling for certain scheduled appointments, tests, non-urgent services, and scheduled surgeries.
• Patients who may be affected will be notified in a timely manner by the relevant departments.

OKYPY is making every effort to minimize any inconvenience to the public and remains committed to providing safe, high-quality, and continuous health care services. Patient safety and the smooth operation of public hospitals and health centers are the Organization’s top priority.

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The 24-hour island-wide strike by hourly-paid government employees, scheduled for Wednesday, June 24, will affect lifeguard coverage at beaches across Cyprus, the Ministry of the Interior notes.

In a statement, the Ministry of the Interior urges the public to exercise extreme caution while swimming and engaging in water activities at the beaches.

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In an exclusive interview with Alpha on Sunday, Finance Minister Makis Keravnos makes it clear that “there are demands that are not entirely justified. Such as the demands being made today by the 6,500 hourly-wage employees who are threatening to strike.”

In a well-run public service, there shouldn’t be thousands of such cases, notes Makis Keravnos, emphasizing that “It is not feasible to meet these demands, and the goal now is to hire only permanent employees.”

“They have made requests totaling more than 50 million; you understand that these cannot be met, and the Ministry of Finance has already invited them to a meeting tomorrow to begin a discussion within the framework of a rational dialogue.”

The meeting is expected to take place with the relevant officials from the ministry.

READ ALSO: “We cannot accept zero raises”: Public sector hourly workers ready to escalate action if their demands are not heard | AlphaNews