Workers in north strike over cost of living pay freeze

Workers at the Tymbou (Ercan) airport and ‘civil aviation’ in north went on a work stoppage on Monday in protest over the freeze for four months the cost-of-living increment paid to public servants.

Doctors who are members of TIP-IS, the Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Union, announced they will also launch an indefinite strike until this decision is reversed.

The ‘government’ decision to freeze the cost-of-living increment that is calculated monthly and paid to public servants every six months, combined with the bad situation of the economy in the north and to the plunge in the Turkish lira has sparked widespread reactions among civil servants.

The work stoppage at the airport, between 9am and 3pm, was expected to affect seven to eight flights.

Outgoing flights had to be rescheduled for after 3pm while passengers complained they would miss connecting flights.

Six trade unions, ‘civil aviation’ workers’ KTAMS, KAMUSEN, KAMU-İŞ, customs employees’ union (GÜÇ-SEN), ‘revenue and tax office’ employees’ union (VERGİ-SEN) and the nurses and midwives’ union, said they will hold a general strike and protest in front of ‘parliament’ on Thursday.

On Monday, members of the electricity authority employees’ union also held a protest.