People who hold key positions essential to the smooth operation of public hospitals are on strike today as part of the 24-hour strike announced by hourly-paid public sector workers.

Speaking on the matter, OKYPY spokesperson Pambos Charilaou, noted that among the hourly-wage government workers on strike are those belonging to “various professional groups that are crucial to the smooth operation of hospitals, such as cleaning staff, ward assistants, clerks, office assistants, messengers, sterilization technicians, and others.”

The right to strike is respected, said Mr. Charilaou, while expressing the hope “that a resolution will be reached so that we do not have constant protests and strikes, because, whether we like it or not, the smooth operation of critical infrastructure—such as hospitals, which operate 24 hours a day and provide health services to those who need them—is affected.”

As the OKYPY spokesperson explained, “hourly-wage government employees in the health sector are paid by OKYPY, but their pay is determined by the agreements they have with the state. Therefore, they are governed by a collective agreement with the state,” which OKYPY adheres to.

When asked about this, Mr. Charilaou said that the Organization continues to hire people “who enjoy the same employment status as they previously had in the public sector.”

When asked whether there would be a pay cut due to the strike, Mr. Charilaou clarified that “the OKYPY Board of Directors has not discussed taking any decision to deduct daily wages,” noting at the same time that “that is not the goal; rather, the goal is to ensure good communication so that when such protests occur, the smooth operation of critical infrastructure, in particular, is not significantly disrupted.”

Chanting slogans such as “No to starvation wages” and “Enough with the mockery—we are not second-class workers,” hourly-wage government workers marched on Wednesday from the Ministry of Finance to the Presidential Palace, demanding wage increases as part of their first 24-hour strike since the founding of the Republic of Cyprus. 

The workers gathered at 10:00 a.m. at the Ministry of Finance and then, in an organized march, proceeded to the Presidential Palace, where union representatives presented a memorandum to the President of the Republic, requesting his intervention to reach an agreement with the Ministry of Finance. According to the unions, hourly-wage workers have received a raise of just 1.5% over the past 17 years.

The strike was joined by workers from all professions within the Hourly-Paid Government Staff, including skilled tradespeople, antiquities conservators, construction workers, train drivers, road transport supervisors, cleaning staff, healthcare workers, forest firefighters, firefighters, lifeguards, etc.

SEE ALSO: How the 24-hour strike by hourly-paid government workers is affecting public hospitals