The Cyprus Workers’ Confederation (SEK) has called for urgent government action on wages after a survey revealed 75% of workers are dissatisfied with their pay and 62% struggle to meet financial obligations, the union announced on Tuesday.
The survey, conducted by IMR/University of Nicosia, found only 7% of workers report living comfortably on their current income, while 70% feel financially insecure.
SEK’s national conference rejected “neoliberal approaches” from the International Monetary Fund and warned Cyprus’ economic competitiveness is threatened by “wage erosion due to inflation” rather than by the cost-of-living allowance (ATA) or wage increases.
The survey showed 23% of workers struggle monthly to purchase essential items and 74% are unable to save money. Nearly all workers (98%) expressed concerns that the national minimum wage is insufficient to cover basic living needs.
“Despite nominal improvement in wage levels, there is a confirmed decrease in purchasing power, creating recurring difficulties or inability to cover basic needs,” SEK stated in its conference resolution.
The union’s research revealed 24% of workers receive the minimum wage while 13% earn less. Additionally, 17% of employees reported increased working hours following minimum wage legislation implementation.
Moreover, 68% of workers report significant wage discrimination in the labor market, with younger workers and women being most vulnerable, even when holding identical positions with equivalent qualifications and experience.
SEK called for measures including the extension of collective agreements to cover all workers, full reinstatement of the cost-of-living allowance, minimum wage revision, stronger enforcement against wage discrimination, and accelerated tax and pension reforms.
The union, which now represents over 50,000 members across various economic sectors, warned it would not agree to approaches that “downgrade workers’ living standards” or endanger labour relations.
“Workers and society cannot wait, and this must be understood by the entire state,” SEK concluded, suggesting labour unrest could follow without prompt action.
The federation also expressed concern about potential consequences from the “trade war imposed by President Trump,” stating these should not burden workers, and called for EU intervention to stabilise the economy.
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