Hourly-wage government employees, who have been on a a 24-hour strike.

“You will never silence us, Minister. Enough with the mockery—we are not second-class workers. Starvation wages. Our dignity is at rock bottom. I want to donate one month’s salary from the Presidential Office; let a month pass, and then come talk to us.”

Among them were forest firefighters, lifeguards, staff members of the cleaning services at ministries and public hospitals, clerks, and court bailiffs from all provinces, who gathered that morning outside the Ministry of Finance, with the Presidential Palace as their final destination.

The protesters marched energetically toward the Presidential Palace to deliver a petition to the President.

“I’ve been working for 38 years, and I can’t make ends meet. We’ve been on the job for 33 years, and we can’t afford the basics. We are the only government position—among hourly-wage workers—that hasn’t received a raise in years. We are lifeguards from all over Cyprus. We still don’t have 12-month contracts; we work on 6-month contracts.”

READ ALSO: “I’ve been working for 38 years and can’t make ends meet”: Hourly-paid government workers won’t back down

They requested the intervention of Nikos Christodoulides so that, through substantive consultations, an agreement could be reached to renew their collective bargaining agreement. They are demanding wage increases of 2% for 2025, 3% for 2026, and 3% for 2027.

“We can’t make ends meet; the salary we receive doesn’t allow us to live with dignity. Today, the President of the Republic must not be feeling very well at all.”
_{^{Stavros Andreou – General Secretary of PASYEK-PEO}}

“Without us, without you, the machinery of the state cannot function. Citizens in danger cannot be saved.”
_{^{George Konstantinou – General Secretary of OEKDY-SEK}}

“From 2009 to today, we’ve seen a 1.5% across-the-board increase, and even that has been slashed.”
_{^{Andreas Antoniou – General Secretary of DEE KDOKO DEOK}}

SEE ALSO: Strike by Hourly-Paid Government Workers: Key Public Health Positions Affected

As they noted, many hourly-wage workers are paid only the minimum wage, with 30% earning up to 1,500 euros.

“Large sums”

Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letympiotis, upon receiving the protesters’ memorandum, assured them that the dialogue would continue. Referring specifically to the demand for wage increases, he noted that the cost, which amounts to 50 million euros, is not insignificant.

“These are large sums that must be taken into account in relation to the rest of the public sector, the level of wage decisions, as well as the state’s financial capacity.”

Other demands, he added, are being viewed positively. However, hourly workers—who number around 9,000 in total—do not rule out more forceful measures if the dialogue fails to yield results.

Watch the report by Rafaella Stavrinou: