Trade unions at the Electricity Authority of Cyprus have suspended strikes planned for Thursday following a meeting at the presidential palace on Tuesday afternoon.

The meeting was attended by the leadership of the four Eac Unions – Epopai, Sidikek, Sepaik and Sybaik – as well as Energy Minister Michalis Damianos, Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki and EAC chairman Giorgos Petrou.

Epopai chairman Kyriacos Tafounas told the Cyprus News Agency that the unions had raised the issues that concern them during the meeting.

“I want to believe they were fully understood,” he said.

He added that the two sides will meet again on July 22, giving the government time to hold contacts with other ministries involved.

Depending on what is discussed at the next meeting, the unions will decide on their next steps, Tafounas said.

Earlier on Tuesday he had said essential safety personnel would be on duty at the authority’s power stations as part of the measures, ensuring electricity production remains stable throughout the industrial action.

He explained that if electricity demand increased or other operational needs arose, responsibility for managing the system and any potential power cuts would rest with the Transmission System Operator (TSO).

Tafounas said the threatened action follows previous protest measures and is intended to highlight what unions describe as serious concerns over electricity supply adequacy and the high cost of electricity for consumers.

He argued that the EAC should be allowed to purchase cheaper electricity from private renewable energy producers, saying this would help reduce costs.

He also stressed that the continued expansion of photovoltaic installations should be accompanied by adequate energy storage systems to ensure the stability and efficiency of the electricity network.

Prior to the meeting at the palace, the TSO has warned that the strike would lead to rolling power cuts as the amount of available power would be reduced.