Education ministry support staff continue indefinite strike over pay

Employees of the Cypriot Ministry of Education’s support programs have been on an indefinite strike since November 2, 2026, protesting five months of unpaid labor and the lack of income during summer months. On November 5, demonstrators marched from the Ministry of Finance to the Presidential Palace, where they submitted a formal resolution to Acting Government Spokesman Yiannis Antoniou. Despite the handover, trade unions PASY-PEO and OEKDY-SEK confirmed in a subsequent general assembly that the strike will continue until their demands for a meeting with the President are met.

The workers are pushing for legislative changes to the Social Insurance Law to ensure they qualify for unemployment benefits during the off-season. They have recently submitted a collective proposal to the President, the President of the House of Representatives, and relevant ministries, calling for immediate legislative intervention and the processing of necessary questionnaires by the Ministry of Education to the Social Insurance Services. The unions reject government claims that they were previously aware of their ineligibility for unemployment benefits during earlier negotiations. As of November 7, they are requesting a meeting within ten days and have called on parliamentary parties to initiate legal amendments to secure their financial status.