Ministry of Education support staff to begin indefinite strike on November 2

Employees of the Support Programs under the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (YPAN) in Cyprus have decided to initiate an indefinite strike starting Monday, November 2, 2026. This escalation follows a decision by an extraordinary General Assembly, organized by unions PASEY-PEO and OEKDY-SEK, in response to the Ministry's failure to implement legislation passed on April 21, 2026. The unions claim that the government is ignoring the staffing procedures mandated by the new law, leading to unemployment for many workers and the filling of positions with overtime-based appointments instead of fixed-term contracts.

The protesters allege that they have been left without income for five months and lack access to unemployment benefits due to the government’s failure to settle administrative and payment issues. The trade unions have announced a major mobilization and march scheduled for Thursday, November 5, starting from the Ministry of Finance and moving toward the Presidential Palace to demand immediate political action.