Okypy staff to strike for 48 hours over stalled pay deal
Unions representing around 1,600 state health workers say a 48-hour walkout on November 10 and 11 will go ahead unless Okypy honours the previous collective agreement and unblocks talks on a new one.
State health services employees will walk off the job on November 10 and 11, as reported by Cyprus Mail, after talks on renewing their collective agreement hit a wall. The previous deal expired in 2025 with parts of it — including annual pay rises and staffing structures — still not applied, the unions say.
Five unions — SEK, PEO, Deok, Pasyno and Pasyki — issued a joint statement warning that industrial action could widen if Okypy does not settle by the strike date. They accuse the employer of refusing to move on how salary scales will be applied from 2028, and say staff are already quitting for jobs elsewhere in the public sector.
The agreement covers roughly 1,600 people, among them doctors, nurses, paramedics and technical, administrative and office staff. The unions describe the strike as a last resort and say members will still respond to emergencies and life-threatening cases while it lasts.
What it means for residents
If the walkout goes ahead, patients should expect slower service at state hospitals and health centres on those two days, with routine appointments and non-urgent procedures most exposed to disruption.
- Check before you go. Confirm scheduled appointments, tests and medication collections at state facilities for November 10 and 11, and ask about rebooking.
- Emergencies still covered. The unions say emergency and life-threatening cases will be handled, so urgent care should call the usual emergency numbers rather than wait.
- Watch for escalation. If no deal is reached, further action is possible — keep an eye on official Okypy announcements.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
