More than 11,000 public-sector workers will stage a 24-hour strike on Thursday, 17 September, trade unions OEKDY-SEK, PASYEK-PEO and DEE-KDOKO-DEOK announced.
The strike will involve hourly paid government staff employed in ministries, departments and services, as well as employees of school boards and hourly paid staff working at State Health Services Organisation (Okypy) hospitals.
A protest will also be held outside the Presidential Palace at 10am on the same day.
In a joint statement, the unions said they decided to take industrial action after the government refused to grant general wage increases as part of the renewal of collective agreements for 2025-2027, despite Cyprus’ economic growth and recorded budget surpluses.
The workers are seeking wage increases of 2% for 2025, 3% for 2026 and 3% for 2027 to offset the high cost of living. The unions said employees’ wages had either remained frozen or been cut for more than a decade.
They are also demanding the restoration of starting salary points, which remain 10% lower, and a 0.5% improvement in Provident Fund contributions.
The unions described the strike as the beginning of a broader campaign to protect the dignity and purchasing power of some of the lowest-paid workers in the state and wider public sector.
They warned that the action could be escalated from a 24-hour to a 48-hour strike if the government maintains its position.
According to the unions, the government is also abolishing vacant posts or failing to fill them, leaving many departments and services unable to perform their duties adequately.
