Government hourly workers accept new collective agreement

On October 7, 2026, roughly 300 delegates representing three trade unions—OEKDY-SEK, PASYEK-PEO, and DEE-KDOKO-DEOK—met to vote on a government proposal regarding the renewal of the collective labor agreement for hourly government personnel. Following months of negotiations and the personal intervention of the President of the Republic, the representatives reached a majority agreement to accept the proposal, effectively avoiding planned industrial action.

The new collective agreement covers the 2025–2027 period and provides for a 3.5% total salary increase. The rollout is split, with a 2% increase effective retroactively from October 1, 2026, and an additional 1.5% scheduled for January 1, 2027. A key provision of the deal ensures that lower-income earners receive proportionately higher benefits, moving away from a flat-rate increase to an income-dependent model.

Stavros Andreou, General Secretary of PASYEK-PEO, stated that the agreement marks the culmination of 18 months of labor efforts and establishes a solid foundation for future challenges. With the approval of the proposal by the workforce representatives, the parties have finalized the agreement, ending the negotiation phase for the upcoming cycle.