Ministry of Education support staff issue 15-day ultimatum over labor demands

On August 10, 2026, employees working under support programs of the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport, and Youth (YPAN) issued an ultimatum demanding a formal response to their labor grievances within 15 days. The group, representing both indefinite and fixed-term contract staff, warned that failure to receive a substantial response would lead them to pursue all legal, collective, and institutional measures available to them.

The workers submitted a formal letter to the Minister of Education, the Minister of Labor, the Educational Service Commission, and relevant parliamentary committees. Their core demands include the official recognition and accreditation of service time within the DRA.S.E. program, clarification regarding the future of the State Institutes of Further Education, and the inclusion of total service time across all ministry support programs. Furthermore, the employees are requesting the creation of a closed roster for experienced staff, prioritized hiring of existing personnel over new vacancies, guaranteed salary structures for indefinite-term staff, and a formalized framework for leave entitlements.

This development follows ongoing tensions regarding job security and professional rights for those serving in the ministry's support infrastructure. The employees are also pushing for the timely commencement of all support programs for the upcoming period. The ultimatum establishes a concrete timeline for the government to address these unresolved labor issues, with potential industrial action looming should the ministry fail to engage meaningfully with the staff's requests.