Strikes by hourly-wage government employees have been averted following the acceptance of the government’s proposal for the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Hourly-Wage Government Employees (OKP) by a majority vote of the unions during today’s pan-Cypriot assembly of the 300 representatives of hourly-paid government employees.
As PASYEK-PEO General Secretary Stavros Andreou stated in his remarks, “The agreement vindicates the positions and struggles of the labor movement, as our efforts over the past 18 months have now borne fruit through the agreement we have approved.” He added that the across-the-board raises, which will be granted immediately, are now intended to be distributed based on income and are not limited to the 3.5% figure that has been mentioned.” He explained that the lower the income of hourly workers, the larger the general pay increase they will receive, starting in October.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
He also noted that the agreement “paves the way and lays a solid foundation for workers and the labor movement as we face the next very difficult period.” He added that the collective bargaining agreement provides for general pay increases, a minimum amount for the general increase, and the creation of a medical care fund for benefits not provided through the National Health System.
For his part, OEKDY-SEK Secretary General Giorgos Konstantinou noted that “the proposal has been passed by a majority and should be implemented immediately to improve the wages of half of the government’s hourly-wage employees.” He emphasized that the proposal includes the establishment of a minimum pay increase, which will benefit the lowest-paid workers.
“This will result in a greater proportional increase in the wages of low-wage workers compared to those of high-wage workers, enabling them to improve their incomes and meet their needs,” he noted. He also expressed the hope that the government and the public “have understood the important role that hourly-paid government employees play in the functioning of the state apparatus” adding that their contribution should be recognized because “it has been proven that without hourly-paid government staff, the state apparatus and key services cannot function.”
Responding to a question, he stated that they would reply in writing to the government regarding acceptance of the proposal and that it should be implemented immediately. When asked if it was a unanimous decision, he noted that there had been some pushback, as “we had employees who had higher expectations. We did our best, but we analyzed all the data and collectively reached this decision, which was made democratically.”
He also noted that as unions, “we keep our members informed, explain everything to them, and answer their questions,” adding that “the majority decides how we will proceed with our next steps and whether we will accept something or not; that is what we do, and that is what we did in this case as well.”
For his part, DEEKDOKO-DEOK Secretary-General Andreas Antoniou stated that the assembly approved this specific proposal, because, as he explained, it serves the movement’s primary goal, which is to improve the wages of low-wage earners so that they can meet the demands of daily life.
In conclusion, he noted that “from now on, any deliberate delay will not be tolerated, so that contracts are finalized on time and annual raises can be paid out, as is only right.”
The Government’s Proposal to Hourly-Wage Workers
It should be noted that the government’s proposal was presented to the unions representing hourly-wage government employees on September 28 during a meeting between the President of the Republic and the General Secretariesof the Hourly-Paid Government Employees’ Unions (OEKDY – SEK, PASYEK – PEO, DEEKDOKO – DEOK) in the presence of the Minister of Finance, and includes general increases of 2% effective October 1, 2026, and 1.5% effective January 1, 2027, the extension of the Minimum General Increase Percentage to the OKP when general increases are granted, a mechanism for increasing the OKP pay scales (starting salary + salary after 6 months) that fall within the applicable minimum wage by one increment per scale.
In addition, it includes the extension of the top of the pay scale for the position of Supervisor A, the allocation of €150,000 annually to the OKP unions (based on the number of members as of December 31 of each year) to cover additional medical and pharmaceutical care for benefits not covered by the General Health System (GESY), while the allocation will be made in the same manner as the charitable benefits that were provided prior to the implementation of the National Health System (GESY) under the OKP’s Medical Care and Welfare Plan.
It should also be noted that the OKP unions have committed not to demand any additional wage increases in the event that an agreement is potentially reached to grant percentage increaseswith other categories of personnel in the public and broader public sectors. It is also stipulated that the contract will have a three-year term and will cover the period from January 1,2025 through December 31, 2027.
Source: CNA
