Government and hourly workers continue dialogue over salary demands

Hourly government workers staged a protest outside the Presidential Palace in Cyprus to demand better pay conditions, rejecting what they termed "starvation wages." Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis received a memorandum detailing the workers' positions and committed to presenting it to the President. While the government maintains it has prioritized the needs of low-wage earners through recent fiscal policies, including a 1.5% public sector raise and 100% restoration of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), negotiations remain ongoing. Finance Minister Makis Keravnos has publicly questioned the justification of the workers' demands, stating that they exceed 50 million euros. Specifically, one of the primary wage-related requests is estimated to cost approximately 30 million euros over a three-year period. Officials emphasized that these fiscal impacts are significant and must be considered within the broader economic context. The government confirmed that dialogue with workers' organizations will continue to address the remaining issues.