Hourly-paid government workers suspend nationwide strike

Trade unions representing approximately 11,000 hourly-paid government workers have suspended a planned 24-hour nationwide strike, originally scheduled for September 17, 2026. The decision follows a high-level meeting between union representatives and President Nikos Christodoulides, with the Minister of Finance also in attendance. The parties agreed to hold a special meeting on September 28, 2026, to address salary improvement demands and other outstanding issues.

Prior to the suspension, the strike had threatened to disrupt public services, most notably by removing lifeguard coverage from beaches across all districts. The Ministry of Finance had previously expressed strong opposition to the unions' demands, which included a general 8% wage increase. The ministry stated that the total cost of the union's requested package reached €50 million over three years, arguing that such an increase could not be isolated to the 6,500 hourly-paid government staff without impacting the broader public sector payroll.

Separately, nursing staff at Larnaca General Hospital held a spontaneous one-hour work stoppage on September 16, 2026. This protest highlighted long-standing issues, including severe overcrowding and professional burnout resulting from excessive overtime requirements, despite the hospital management's attempt to alleviate pressure by opening five additional beds.