Cyprus will experience widespread disruption on Thursday as a three-hour nationwide strike affects airports, schools and public services amid a dispute over the Cost-of-Living Allowance (CoLA).

Hermes Airports confirmed on Wednesday that more than 50 flights at Larnaca and Paphos airports could be delayed or cancelled between 11am and 2pm. The airport operator later clarified that the total number of passengers impacted is expected to exceed 15,000.

Airlines were working to reschedule affected flights, but passengers have been urged to contact their airline, travel agent, or ground handling company for updated information. Hermes urged passengers to monitor their messages directly from airlines and travel agents, and confirmed that updated flight times will be posted on its official website, www.hermesairports.com.

Flights already cancelled include Jazeera Airways to and from Kuwait (JZR345/JZR346), Qatar Airways to and from Doha (QTR265/QTR266), and Emirates from Dubai to Malta (UAE109). Hermes also announced that, in coordination with ground handling companies, additional staff will be on duty after the strike ends at 2pm to handle the increased number of passengers.

Hospitals will remain open with security staff, though Peo clarified that not all sectors will require cover.
“Only where it is needed. Essential services will operate as normal,” the union said, defending the action as unavoidable.
“Salary increases have been applied unfairly for decades. They should continue for everyone, including minimum wage earners. All trade unions agree, and we are moving forward together.”

Schools are preparing for early closures. Parents are advised to collect children at 11am, as school buses will not operate during the strike. Students attending all-day schools should return at 2pm to continue lessons. No school lunches will be provided. Privately run community nursery schools will follow guidance set by their employers.

Public bus services are also expected to be affected by Thursday’s nationwide strike. Cyprus Public Transport (CPT) confirmed that significant disruption is anticipated across the network with no guarantee that scheduled routes will operate during the strike hours. Passengers planning journeys on Thursday are advised to make alternative arrangements.

CPT clarified that, following guidance from the transport ministry, only morning school bus routes will operate. No return services will run during the strike, and parents have been urged to make their own plans to collect children from schools. They apologised for the inconvenience and said live updates would be available throughout the day via its official communication channels.

Health services will continue with reduced staffing. The national health scheme (Okypy) said hospital wards and A&E departments will operate with skeleton staff from 11am to 2pm. Scheduled operations are planned to finish before the strike, and emergencies will be attended at all times. Patients with appointments or procedures during the strike will be informed of any changes, with rescheduling arranged promptly.

Citizen service centres will remain closed between the strike hours, the department of public administration and personnel confirmed. People with existing appointments during the strike will be notified by message with details on how to reschedule.

The electricity authority of Cyprus (EAC) also announced that its customer service offices will only operate between 7:45am and 10:45am on Thursday. Centres that normally open in the afternoon will resume service from 3pm to 5:15pm once the strike has ended.

The strike follows failed talks on Monday between unions, employers and the government over CoLA reforms, which also include changes to taxes and pensions. President Christodoulides described the reforms as a “huge modernisation” of the 1960 system.
“Reforms unavoidably lead to reactions. But our main aim is to modernise the 1960 state, always to the benefit of the people,” he said.
Christodoulides pointed out that “all reforms, including tax, CoLA and pensions, always aim at serving the people, to whom we are accountable”.
“So, I am urging all to strengthen our effort even more regarding reforms. It is important that we move forward,” the president said.

Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou said the allowance must be updated to meet current societal needs, adding that any agreement will require legal regulation.
“Modernisation is needed. CoLA should be granted on a graduated scale. I do not believe a public servant earning €300,000 a year needs CoLA to cope with rising costs. By contrast, someone earning €1,000 a month truly does,” he explained.

Sek, Peo and other major trade unions insist the strike is necessary to protect workers, including minimum wage earners. Employers expressed support for modernisation through dialogue but criticised the mobilisation, stressing that essential services must maintain minimum operations. Demonstrations are also planned in towns across Cyprus during the strike.

Oev and Keve issued a joint statement on Wednesday, sharply criticising the government’s approach.

They noted that most of Europe abolished similar systems decades ago and underlined that both the international monetary fund and the European Commission continue to call for CoLA’s abolition in Cyprus.

The two organisations stressed that since the 2023 agreement was signed, the government had never suggested legislative intervention on CoLA and had instead assured employers that talks were focused on modernisation and fairer distribution without added cost for businesses, as outlined in the president’s governance programme. They said the labour minister’s recent announcement came as a surprise, shifting the ministry’s role from mediator to party in the dispute and introducing new issues late in the dialogue.

Oev and Keve reminded that employers accepted raising CoLA from 50 per cent to 66.7 per cent in 2023, based on government assurances of meaningful reform. They warned that the current approach risks serious consequences for the national economy, including automatic increases in labour costs, inflationary pressures and reduced competitiveness.

They added that this stance also damages Cyprus’ attractiveness to foreign investors and contradicts recent IMF recommendations, which again urged suspension of CoLA in the public sector as a structural weakness undermining the state payroll. The statement concluded with an appeal for clarifications from the labour ministry to restore the basis of dialogue, warning that failure to do so would trigger a prolonged period of labour instability.

Political reactions remain divided. Akel has called for full restoration of allowances, Edek has backed the strike as a last effort, and the Greens have expressed support for reform. Business groups warned of economic risks. President Christodoulides appealed for calm, noting that industrial action does not advance reform goals.

Thursday’s strike is expected to affect homes, schools, airports, and workplaces across the country as unions and the government continue discussions on CoLA, workers’ conditions, and public sector reform.