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Strike in Cyprus: Beaches without lifeguards, disruptions at schools and hospitals
On Thursday, September 17, more than 11,000 hourly workers in the Cypriot public sector will begin a 24-hour strike. The strike will include ministries, offices, technical services, public hospitals, and school administrators. The most serious warning concerns beaches – lifeguard towers are to remain unmanned that day.
The strike does not mean the complete closure of all offices, hospitals, and schools. Those employed under other arrangements will return to work, but the lack of hourly workers could significantly limit the operations of many institutions. According to announcements published on September 15, the protest remains ongoing.
The rest of the article is below
Beaches without lifeguards
The most immediate threat is to those planning a beach holiday. Beach lifeguards are employed on an hourly basis, so the lifeguard towers will remain unmanned on Thursday.
The lack of lifeguards means that at beaches that are normally monitored, there may be no one to respond immediately if someone faints, gets swept away by a current, or has trouble swimming.
Important for beachgoers On Thursday, don't assume there will be a lifeguard on the beach. Children should remain under the direct supervision of adults. Avoid swimming alone, high waves, and areas far from other people.
In case of emergency, call the European emergency number 112 or the Cypriot emergency number 199.
You can find a full list of useful contacts in our guide: Emergency numbers in Cyprus.
Which students should stay home?
Schools will not be closed entirely, but the strike will affect a significant portion of support staff. These include secretarial staff, cleaners, drivers for special education schools, preschool assistants, and caregivers of students requiring additional support.
The Ministry of Education has asked parents of children attending special schools and students using the help of school assistants or caregivers to leave their children at home on September 17.
Without these staff, institutions will not be able to provide adequate care, supervision and safety for some students.
Absences of children affected by this recommendation will not be counted towards school attendance. School administrators will directly inform parents of students affected by this decision.
The remaining schools are expected to operate, but a lack of support staff may disrupt their normal operations.
Difficulties in public hospitals
Hourly staff of the State Health Service Organization OKYPY, which manages public hospitals, will also join the strike.
This does not mean the closure of hospitals or emergency departments. However, the lack of some technical, support, and service staff may impact the operation of individual departments and clinics.
People with an appointment, test or procedure scheduled for September 17 should contact the facility directly to confirm whether the date remains valid.
More information on public health care is published in the guide: Hospitals in Cyprus.
Offices and technical services may operate slower
Disruptions may also occur in ministries, offices and technical departments.
The groups covered by the protest include employees associated with, among others:
- Department of Forestry,
- fire brigade,
- Civil defense,
- Department of Road Transport,
- public works,
- water management,
- school administration,
- public hospitals.
This doesn't mean that all emergency services will cease operations. It's the hourly workers employed in these units who are striking, not all officers, civil servants, or medical workers.
However, at the time of publication, a complete breakdown of shifts and detailed rules for securing all critical services were not provided. It is best to postpone dealing with non-urgent official matters until another day.
Why are workers striking?
The protest concerns the negotiations for a new collective agreement for 2025–2027.
Trade unions are demanding a 2 percent pay raise for 2025 and 3 percent each for 2026 and 2027. They also want to restore starting salary levels, which were previously reduced by 10 percent, and increase contributions to the pension and savings fund by 0.5 percent.
The Ministry of Finance believes that the total cost of implementing the demands exceeds the state's capabilities. Unions counter that hourly workers are among the lowest paid in the public sector, and their salaries have remained unchanged for many years.
Protest in front of the Presidential Palace
A gathering is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in front of the Presidential Palace in Nicosia.
Trade unions have warned that if the talks fail to produce an agreement, the next step could be a 48-hour strike.
The situation may still change if the parties reach an agreement before Thursday. Those planning to visit an office or hospital, as well as parents of students, should follow the latest announcements from the relevant institutions.
Sources: Philenews, Cyprus Mail, SigmaLive, ANT1 Cyprus, Ministry of Education of the Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus.
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