Social welfare officers in Ayioi Anargyroi have announced a spontaneous strike from 12:30 – 13:30 on Wednesday in response to a break-in by a homeless man at their office on Tuesday evening.

A homeless man broke down a door to find shelter in the building.

The public servants’ union Pasydy condemned the incident saying that the building facilities housing the social welfare were often inadequate and inappropriate for the workers to be able to carry out their work under safe conditions.

“We demand that all necessary measures be taken immediately and without further delay to find suitable premises for the accommodation of social welfare offices,” the union stated on Wednesday.

Claiming that it had warned about the issue for years, the union insisted that “the safety and health of workers is a non-negotiable right” and it was within the responsibility of the state “to provide it without delay or reservation”.

The union said that despite promises to take care of the matter, the deputy ministry of social welfare had failed to resolve it.

On Wednesday, Larnaca District Court fined a 25-year-old homeless man €300 for breaking down a door at the social welfare office in Ayioi Anargyroi.

According to Spyros Chrysostomou, press spokesman for the Larnaca police “the head of the office assured that nothing was stolen from the office.” While nobody was hurt in the incident, pictures published in local media show that furniture and other utilities were in the building were damaged.

The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to the charges of illegal entry and causing malicious damage before the court in Larnaca on Wednesday morning.