Prison guard members of Isotita union have suspended strike measures as they said on Tuesday they are ready to discuss their demands for benefits with the employer side.

The affected members decided to suspend their indefinite strike “as a sign of goodwill” following a proposal by President Nicos Anastasiades that aimed to satisfy their demands.

The strike will be suspended until January 13 next year to give the opportunity for dialogue.

But if there is no satisfactory process by then, prison guards said they will resume their strike.

The president’s proposal was unanimously rejected by the prison guards during their meeting on October 5, as it only satisfied one of their three demands, but it was “a small step in a positive direction”, the union’s announcement said.

The prison guard members had requested for a special allowance of €240, as well as an upgrade to their paygrade from A2-5-7 to A3-5-7, and their simultaneous placement to combined ranks based on their actual years of service.

Instead, they were offered a benefit of €120, which they said was too low and does not reflect or compensate for the special conditions of the profession.

President of Isotita Prodromos Christofi had said last month that prison guards are underpaid in relation to their actual contribution, and they will continue the strike indefinitely until their demands are satisfied. He had added that discussions can take place provided there is a commitment in writing on how to resolve the dispute.