Cyprus’s construction industry has been at a standstill since Tuesday, November 5, as labour minister’s efforts to resolve the ready-mix concrete sector strike have yet to yield results.
With construction sites nationwide running out of work that can be completed without concrete, the Federation of Building Contractors Associations of Cyprus (OSEOK) has initiated talks with construction workers’ unions to address the situation and wage losses, in accordance with their collective agreement.
The recently renewed sector agreement requires immediate dialogue between parties when the construction industry is negatively affected by external factors, such as raw material shortages, to establish mutually acceptable measures.
However, tensions escalated after the Ready-Mix Concrete Association announced Monday night it would end its counter-strike whilst encouraging non-unionised members to continue serving the construction industry.
This decision led to confrontations as striking workers blocked concrete mixer trucks from leaving factories.
Kostas Kythreotis, president of the Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturers Association, told the Cyprus News Agency that while members unaffected by unions attempted to work, they faced significant obstruction from strikers.
“They’re being threatened with physical violence and property damage, so we’ve taken steps to de-escalate the situation,” he said, referring to requests for police protection.
Kythreotis explained that his association rejected the labour minister’s proposed framework and skipped Tuesday morning’s meeting at the Ministry of Labour, claiming the proposal left no room for negotiation.
The unions SEK, PEO, and DEOK criticised Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou’s crisis management in a joint statement, calling for employers to “take responsibility” and for the minister to “understand his mediating role”.
They emphasised their continued commitment to securing fundamental rights through collective agreement renewal, highlighting the sector’s profitability compared to wage trends.
