Trade unions are gathering for a crucial meeting in Nicosia today amid growing labour disputes, confirming early predictions that 2025 would present significant workplace challenges.
The pan-union meeting, scheduled for 10:00 at PEO headquarters, was convened by PEO and SEK unions to address key labour issues that could shape the future of industrial relations.
The gathering comes as tensions persist between social partners and the Ministry of Labour.
The labour landscape has been particularly turbulent, carrying over from 2024’s disputes.
These include the ready-mix concrete workers’ strike, disagreements over collective agreement renewals in the hotel and construction sectors, and most recently, controversy surrounding the revision of foreign worker policies.
Union representatives have expressed particular dissatisfaction with the Labour Ministry’s handling of foreign worker regulations, leading to a joint statement criticising the ministry’s approach.
They argue that despite Cyprus’s strong economic growth, wealth distribution remains uneven, particularly affecting wage earners.
Trade unions emphasise that the situation has been exacerbated by rising living costs, with many households struggling to make ends meet despite the country’s economic performance.
They contend that while Cyprus shows strong growth indicators, the benefits are not being fairly distributed among wage earners.
Today’s meeting is expected to serve as a crucial milestone in ongoing consultations, with unions likely to issue strong messages and potential warnings to all stakeholders involved in these disputes.
