Cyprus beaches to be without lifeguards for one day

On Thursday, September 17, beaches across Cyprus will be left without lifeguard services due to a 24-hour nationwide strike of hourly-paid public sector employees. The Ministry of Interior has urged the public to exercise caution while swimming. Approximately 11,000 workers are expected to participate in the strike, which stems from a dispute over a new three-year collective agreement and demands for an 8% salary increase that the Ministry of Finance considers financially unsustainable.