Industrial relations developments in Cyprus regarding government staff and Larnaca hospital

Trade unions representing hourly-paid government staff in Cyprus have suspended a planned 24-hour strike scheduled for September 17, 2026. The decision followed a meeting between union representatives, President Nikos Christodoulides, and the Minister of Finance. The government had previously warned that the unions' financial demands, which include wage increases of 2% for 2025 and 3% for both 2026 and 2027, would cost approximately €50 million. A new high-level meeting is scheduled for September 28, 2026, to finalize decisions on wage improvements and other collective agreement terms.

Separately, nursing staff at Larnaca General Hospital held a spontaneous one-hour work stoppage on September 16, 2026, protesting chronic overcrowding and staff exhaustion. The nurses, represented by the PASYDY union branch, reported that patients were frequently left in the emergency department for hours waiting for available beds. Despite management attempting to address the issue by opening five additional beds on an overtime basis, the union stated that this measure was insufficient, warning that professional burnout is currently compromising both staff health and patient safety.