Education support staff to begin indefinite strike over unpaid wages
Unions SEK and PEO say some education ministry support programme workers have gone five months without pay and will walk out indefinitely from Monday.
Staff in the education ministry's support programmes will stop work indefinitely from Monday, as trade unions SEK and PEO report that a number of employees have not been paid for five months. According to the unions, the ministry has yet to apply in full a law approved by the House on April 21 governing employment in these programmes.
The unions say the legislation lays down hiring procedures that are not being followed across every programme, leaving some workers jobless, while fixed-term positions are reportedly being covered by permanent staff working overtime. They also accuse the government of putting off a decision on paying employees whose contracts remain in force, which they say has stripped those workers of income and of any entitlement to unemployment benefit.
“Workers remain unpaid for five months,” the unions said.
A protest march is scheduled for next Thursday, setting off from the finance ministry towards the presidential palace, and the unions are urging members to attend both the strike and the march in force until substantial solutions are offered.
What it means for residents
Families whose children depend on support programmes may see gaps in staffing while the walkout lasts, and the dispute highlights how slowly public-sector pay decisions can reach the people affected.
- Check schedules: parents using ministry support programmes should confirm arrangements with schools and providers once the strike begins.
- Expect traffic: Thursday's march from the finance ministry to the presidential palace may slow traffic in central Nicosia.
- Watch for settlement: the strike ends only when the government and unions reach agreement, so follow official announcements.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
