Cyprus was brought to a standstill on Thursday, as thousands of workers staged a nationwide strike outside the finance ministry, chanting “Hands off CoLA” and “CoLA for all workers,” demanding the full restoration of the Cost of Living Allowance.
The three-hour stoppage lasted from 11am to 2pm, disrupting flights, public services, and transport, underlining the scale of the labour dispute and the unions’ aim to secure CoLA for all employees.
The unions stressed that CoLA preserves workers’ purchasing power, supports living standards and consumption and helps enforce collective agreements.
More than 50 flights were affected, impacting over 15,000 passengers, with airlines rescheduling departures.
Hospitals operated with emergency staff only, while cancelled surgeries and appointments are to be rescheduled.
Citizens’ service centres closed for three hours, public buses were grounded, and traffic across the road network was heavily disrupted.
Union leaders addressed the central rally in Nicosia where Deok president Stelios Christodoulou said, “CoLA must continue for current and future generations.”
Christodoulou added that employers were trying to make workers fight among themselves by claiming they want a “fairer CoLA,” but in reality they seek a reduced allowance. He said CoLA was won through past struggles and must continue for past, current, and future workers.
Pasydy general secretary Stratis Mattheou said the turnout demonstrates support for CoLA and that unions will continue strikes to protect it.
Mattheou described the crowd as a “sea of people” and said it sends a message that workers from both public and private sectors united are protecting CoLA.
He stressed that CoLA has contributed to both labour calm and employee prosperity, and that unions insist on full restoration according to the 2017 and 2023 agreements, rejecting any attempt at indirect abolition. “CoLA is non-negotiable,” he said.
Sek union boss Andreas Matsas said the strike sends a clear message to political parties and the government about workers’ rights.
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Matsas further emphasised that the government now faces a question of workers’ dignity.
He called the government’s pre-strike proposal a “firework” and stated firmly that CoLA cannot be fragmented or given incrementally.
Peo general secretary Sotiroula Charalambous highlighted the turnout across Cyprus and referenced low-wage workers.
Charalambous said, “We counted ourselves and there are many of us across Cyprus,” rejecting the employers’ logic of distributing minimal amounts.
Christodoulou, Mattheou, Charalambous, and other union leaders all delivered speeches underscoring that CoLA is non-negotiable and must be fully restored for all employees.
Leaders highlighted that recent government and employer proposals attempted to reduce or fragment CoLA, but unions rejected these approaches.
They stressed that CoLA protects purchasing power, preserves the standard of living, and maintains labour calm, and that full restoration is both a matter of fairness and dignity for current and future workers.
The Cyprus police and firefighters’ unions, though unable to strike, voiced support, affirming that the workforce stands united.
The Cyprus journalists’ union emphasised the historic nature of the day and the importance of safeguarding wages against erosion.
Political parties also chimed in with statements.
The Green party called for modernising CoLA to ensure universal application, suggested adjustments based on wage levels, and urged all stakeholders to use the situation to implement fair distribution.
Far-right political party Elam said it is monitoring developments and highlighted that over 50 per cent of workers do not currently receive CoLA. The party proposed revising financial criteria to ensure workers receive CoLA without losing other social benefits
The central rally was held at noon in the courtyard of the finance ministry in Nicosia, with simultaneous demonstrations in Limassol, Larnaca, Paralimni, and Paphos.
The unions issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to CoLA, declaring they will continue their actions until it is fully restored according to its original purpose.
They said employers maintained a rigid stance during the ‘social dialogue’, and the government did not submit a proposal based on the transitional agreement schedule.
The resolution passed by the assembled workers reaffirmed the unions’ commitment to protect CoLA, criticising the employers for rigid positions that could undermine collective agreements. It also censured the government for failing to present a mediating proposal respecting the transitional agreement, and called on employers to engage constructively and implement CoLA fully to preserve wages and social cohesion.
The unions stressed that CoLA for all workers is an urgent requirement, and that support for low- and middle-income earners remains a top priority.
They also underscored that delays, last-minute meetings, and symbolic gestures without real proposals are an insult to workers and undermine social dialogue.
The strike is part of ongoing discussions between unions, employers, and the government on CoLA, a system that adjusts wages according to changes in the cost of living.
Asked to comment on the industrial action, President Nikos Christodoulides said the right to strike is “absolutely respected”.
But he added: “The only thing for certain is that it solves no problem, no one wins. Unions lose, employers lose, and the government loses first and foremost, because we are accountable, as the public is inconvenienced.”
The president dismissed accusations that the government is speaking with a “forked tongue” on the issue of CoLA.
He also took a dig at the Akel party, without naming them.
“I hear some statements from some people who were the main protagonists in having CoLA truncated in 2012,” Christodoulides said.
“They are the same ones who led the economy to such a state that we could not even afford to pay CoLA.”
It’s understood he was alluding to the events leading up to the financial meltdown of 2013, during the Akel administration at the time.
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