Supreme court upholds compensation ruling for former THOC actors

On June 16, 2026, the Supreme Court of Cyprus dismissed an appeal filed by actors Stavros Louras and Giorgos Mouaimis against the Cyprus Theatre Organization (THOC). The dispute concerned the calculation of severance pay following the termination of their consecutive fixed-term employment contracts in September 2012. Louras, hired in 1996, and Mouaimis, hired in 2001, were awarded 22,436 euros and 19,850 euros respectively by the Industrial Disputes Court. The actors argued their employment should be considered of indefinite duration starting from their initial hire dates, which would have entitled them to significantly higher compensation. They contended that their contracts became indefinite before the enactment of the 2003 Fixed-Term Employees Law. However, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling, concluding that the law does not apply retroactively. The court stated that before the 2003 legislation, the actors' relationship with THOC was governed by public law rather than private employment law. Therefore, the court found the original compensation amounts to be legally correct.