Okypy asks health unions to cancel 48-hour walkout
State health services organisation Okypy has urged unions to scrap a two-day strike set for November 10 and 11, insisting talks still have room to move forward.
Okypy, the organisation running state hospitals, has appealed to unions to cancel the 48-hour strike announced for November 10 and 11, according to Cyprus Mail. Its spokesman, Charalambos Charilaou, said talks have already moved forward on teleworking, rest leave and service plans.
The sticking point is a plan to tie part of the annual pay rise to performance evaluation. Unions SEK, PEO, Deok, Pasyno and Pasyki announced the action on October 26, citing delays in applying the existing collective agreement and disagreement over how salary scales will work from 2028.
About 1,600 people are covered by the agreement, among them doctors, nurses, paramedics and technical and administrative personnel. Unions have said they will still handle emergencies during any strike.
“The organisation’s concern is its people, its staff and its well-being,” Charilaou said.
What it means for residents
If the strike goes ahead, state hospitals will run reduced services for two days, which mainly affects people with routine appointments or planned procedures rather than emergencies.
- Check before you go. Confirm appointments at state facilities for November 10 and 11 in advance and ask about rescheduling.
- Emergencies still covered. Unions have said staff will respond to urgent and life-threatening cases.
- Watch for a deal. Talks continue, so the walkout could still be called off before the deadline.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
