The ready mixed concrete producers’ association will propose a full lifting of its ongoing strike at its general assembly on Monday as the industry-wide strike by unions enters its sixth day.

Association president Costas Kythreotis told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that the board will recommend not extending the strike at its 4pm meeting.

“We will encourage any members who wish to resume servicing the construction industry to do so,” he said, adding that the association’s recommendation is for a complete, not partial, end to measures.

It is estimated that around 50 per cent of association members are ready to resume operations, as their employees are not unionised and wish to return to work.

The association reportedly held discussions over the past three days with labour ministry officials and believes that the differences between employers and unions can be narrowed.

Concrete manufacturers and traders went on strike as of Thursday, demanding to be paid for overtime worked and a return to their pre-2013 collective labour agreement conditions.

Trade union Peo secretary-general Sotiroula Charalambous said workers were demanding “two basic rights”.

“It is well known that when we signed the contract to reduce some of our benefits during the economic crisis to help the construction sector and employers, to help the country’s economy, the signature had an expiration date, and those who signed took this commitment on,” she said.

Charalambous added that “societies and workers must go forward, so today, in 2024, we cannot be asked to not be paid overtime, in an industry where the amount of work being done continues to grow”.