The responsibility for the continuation and escalation of the strike by employees of the Ministry of Education’s Support Programs lies with the government, which has an obligation to immediately resolve the outstanding issues, according to the unions PASEU–PEO and OEKDY–SEK.
In a statement, they note that the employees went on an indefinite strike starting today, Monday, following months of efforts, consultations, and repeated interventions by the PASEY–PEO and OEKDY–SEK unions, without any substantive solutions being provided to the serious problems they face.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
In light of the island-wide strike rallies today, Monday, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the mobilization and march to the Presidential Palace on Thursday, it should be noted that workers are demanding the immediate implementation of the government’s commitments and the resolution of two key outstanding issues: guaranteeing income during the summer months for permanent employees who remain without a salary and without access to unemployment benefits, as well as the immediate hiring of their colleagues, who, despite their many years of service in the programs, remain unemployed.
It should be noted that as part of the strike, today, Monday at 4:00 p.m., simultaneous strike rallies will be held in all districts: in Nicosia at the Strovolos KIE, in Limassol at the Limassol KIE, in Paphos at the Paphos KIE, in Larnaca at the Larnaca KIE, and in Famagusta at the Paralimni KIE.
The protests, it adds, will culminate on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., with a large pan-Cypriot rally outside the Ministry of Finance and a protest march to the Presidential Palace.
The unions “call on the government to finally assume its responsibilities and provide concrete and meaningful solutions. It is unacceptable for workers to go months without income, nor for their colleagues with many years of service to be driven into unemployment.”
They also say they are asking for the understanding and solidarity of those enrolled in the Support Programs “because this is a shared struggle to improve the Support Programs, for the benefit of our society and our people,” while thanking those who have issued statements of solidarity and support for their struggle.
What Athina Says About the Strike
Solutions must be found through dialogue and discussion with the Ministries of Finance and Labor, and not through protests, said Athina Michailidou, Minister of Education, Sports, and Youth, Athina Michailidou, on Monday regarding the indefinite strike by employees of the Ministry of Education’s Support Programs.
She noted that it is a matter of time and dialogue, “because we are asking for something that is a deviation from the law—the payment of unemployment benefits to people on indefinite contracts.” A meeting of General Directors at the Ministry of Finance on this issue is already taking place today, he added.
In remarks following the session of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, in which she participated, and in response to a question regarding the indefinite strike, the Minister noted that there are approximately 950 employees in the support programs in total and that they have already gained “a great deal” over the past three years. “As a government, we have supported nearly all of their demands,” she said, recalling that most of them have transitioned from a service procurement arrangement to salaried employees and subsequently to permanent positions.
Some of them remain on fixed-term contracts and are demanding action on two main issues, he said, adding that one concerns unemployment benefits, “which, as we know, you are not entitled to in the broader public sector when you have a permanent contract.” “And there, our response is clear. We are working to find possible solutions with the Ministry of Finance. It is purely a financial and legal issue,” he added. The second demand, he noted, concerns the right not only for permanent employees but also for fixed-term employees to be hired.
He noted that all permanent employees are currently working and being paid under the programs. “And fixed-term employees, through the legal process, are submitting their applications to the registries of all our programs. Therefore, we are not opposed to their requests,” she added.
Ms. Michailidou noted that “solutions must be found through dialogue and discussion with other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, and not through such protests,” noting that the right to strike is an exclusive right and she fully respects it.
Responding to a question about whether a new meeting between the Ministry and the employees is expected, the Minister reiterated that, as she had previously stated, “we are in the process of consulting with the Ministry of Finance, as I said earlier. We also invited them to meetings very recently and briefed them; we had telephone conversations.”
She reiterated that “it’s a matter of time, it’s a matter of dialogue, because we’re asking for something that’s a deviation from the law—the payment of unemployment benefits to people on permanent contracts— which is why this is a matter for discussion with other agencies as well, not just the Ministry of Education, toward which we are positive. We all want solutions to be found,” he added.
Consequently, he continued, a dialogue is underway, “which is why the reaction seems excessive to us, and furthermore, there is no one who has not consistently supported the demands of this group of workers.”
He noted that the Ministry has prepared an action plan to resolve certain issues in the event that the strike continues for a long time.
Source: CNA
