Today, Friday, October 23, employees of the Ministry of Education’s Support Programs and staff of the Social Welfare Services. The focus is on pending labor issues, with the unions demanding immediate action and warning of further escalation of measures.
Employees of the Ministry of Education’s Support Programs are staging a 24-hour strike across Cyprus, expressing their strong dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to fulfill its commitments. The unions PASEU–PEO and OEKDY–SEK maintain that, despite the time allotted for dialogue, no concrete decisions have been made to resolve the workers’ problems.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The primary demand is financial support for those who remain without income during the summer months. Specifically, they are calling for the establishment of a special allowance for the period from June to August, with retroactive effect starting in the summer of 2026. At the same time, the union is calling for the filling of fixed-term employee positions for the 2026–2027 school year, as well as the option for concurrent employment, subject to the maximum limit of 48 working hours per week.
The unions are now demanding written decisions from the government, making it clear that if there are no substantial developments, a new island-wide strike will take place on Monday, November 2, with a protest rally outside the Presidential Palace. In fact, they do not rule out the possibility of going on strike indefinitely if their demands continue to go unanswered.
Social Service Workers Take to the Streets
At the same time, social service workers, represented by the “Isotita” union, are also taking strike action. The workers complain that understaffing, excessive workloads, and the constant addition of new responsibilities are hindering the operation of Social Welfare Services. They also point out that bureaucratic procedures and workplace safety issues are affecting the effectiveness of the services and, by extension, the quality of service provided to citizens.
A protest rally is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. outside the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, with the union calling on all civil servants to participate, regardless of union affiliation. “Isotita” is demanding immediate solutions to the problems, emphasizing that the situation particularly affects citizens in need of social protection and support.
However, PASYDY is not participating in the Social Services Workers’ strike; it has decided to give the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare some time so she can move forward with a plan to address the issues. The organization clarifies that it agrees with the workers’ demands, while also warning that it will take strong measures if the dialogue fails to produce results.
File photo*
