Hospital cleaners threaten strike

Cleaners at Larnaca General hospital will on Wednesday decide whether or not to take strike measures over understaffing.

“It’s time to take the concerns and constant complaints made by cleaning staff department into account,” union Pasyek Peo said, urging state health service Okypy to begin recruiting full time staff instead of cleaners who are paid hourly at the hospital.

The cleaners will hold a meeting on Wednesday to decide their next move.

A new wing consisting of a physiotherapy clinic, outpatient clinic, dialysis department and hemostasis was completed in 2020, expanding the size of the hospital, and increasing the demand on current staff members.

Despite continuous interventions about hiring more staff, “Okypy continues to solely hire hourly-paid workers,” it added.

“The daily heavy workload along with the lack of response from the health ministry leaves the cleaning department with no choice but to take stronger measures of action,” it concluded.