Staff at Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture hold work stoppage over budget control and management

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, staff at the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Department of Antiquities held a one-hour work stoppage from 09:00 to 10:00. The action was organized by the PASYDY union to protest recent moves by the Ministry's Director-General, Giorgos Papageorgiou, regarding the 2027 budget. The union alleges that Papageorgiou is attempting to transfer financial control of departmental posts and specific budget chapters (03.25.00 to 03.25.71) directly under his own office, effectively removing the autonomy of individual department directors and the political head of the ministry, Clea Papaellina.

In addition to the financial concerns, staff have cited a hostile work environment and alleged bullying by the Director-General, describing a pattern of behavior aimed at marginalizing department leadership. The union argues that centralizing this oversight would disrupt project implementation and administrative roles across the ministry's departments. PASYDY has demanded immediate corrective actions to restore proper functionality within the institution.

The union has warned that further "dynamic" industrial action will be taken if management does not respond to these grievances. As of now, the staff is calling for an internal investigation into the leadership conduct and remains in a state of alert pending a resolution from the ministry's administration.