Trade unions representing workers at the Electricity Authority of Cyprus will escalate their industrial action from Thursday, while insisting that electricity generation will continue uninterrupted.

Speaking to CyBC radio on Tuesday, Kyriacos Tafounas, president of the trade union for employees at Epopai, said only essential safety personnel would be on duty at the authority’s power stations during the measures, ensuring electricity production remains stable throughout the industrial action.

He explained that if electricity demand increases or other operational needs arise, responsibility for managing the system and any potential power cuts rests with the Transmission System Operator.

Tafounas said the latest 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 Electricity Authority 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.