Teacher unions seek presidential intervention over hiring system reforms

Major teacher unions in Cyprus—POED, OELMEK, and OLTEK—have officially requested a meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides to address a persistent deadlock regarding proposed reforms to the public education hiring system. Following a joint session, union representatives led by Myria Vasiliou, Konstantinos Konstantinou, and Lenos Loizou formally sent a letter on Friday, October 30, 2026, urging the President to intervene after failing to reach a compromise with the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth.

The unions argue that the current Ministry proposal would negatively impact hundreds of educators, threatening their job security and prospects for permanent tenure. The organizations maintain that the Ministry remains inflexible, causing the current impasse. While the unions have warned that they may escalate to industrial action if no resolution is found, they are currently waiting for the President's response to their meeting request before finalizing specific protest measures.

This development follows ongoing tensions between the government and teaching staff regarding structural changes to employment. The unions emphasize that while they do not seek conflict, they view the proposed reforms as a matter of fundamental principle that potentially victimizes established staff within the school system.