May 1 is a public holiday, Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou insisted on Thursday.

He said the day remains a holiday for all workers, “regardless of whether the day falls within ten days of Easter.”

He said that in accordance with the relevant laws, therefore, all shops should remain closed on the day.

He added, “therefore, in the event that shop employees are called into work on the day in question, they must be paid overtime at a rate of double their hourly wage in addition to their normal salary.”