Cyprus’ main trade unions have submitted a memorandum to Nikos Christodoulides, calling for renewed dialogue on the national minimum wage and broader labour market issues.
The memorandum, sent on Monday by SEK, PEO and DEOK, sets out four core demands and requests a meeting with the president, in the presence of the labour minister.
Call for increase in minimum wage
At the centre of the unions’ intervention is a demand for an increase in the national minimum wage. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, SEK general secretary Andreas Matsas said the current level remains inadequate and does not reflect the real needs of workers, particularly at a time of rising living costs.
He rejected claims by the Employers and Industrialists Federation that the issue is settled for the next two years. In a recent statement, OEB argued that reopening the minimum wage discussion, after it was revised as of January 1, 2026, would undermine the framework of tripartite cooperation and destabilise labour relations.
Matsas responded that the minimum wage is set by decree and is not the product of social dialogue or a jointly agreed process. He added that it is insufficiently linked to the median wage or to hourly remuneration, leaving thousands of low-paid workers exposed.
“Are we to tell vulnerable workers that the discussion is over?” he asked, pointing to the social consequences of wage stagnation.
Broader labour market demands
Beyond the minimum wage, the unions’ memorandum calls for:
– the extension of collective agreements, linked to public procurement, so that compliance becomes a prerequisite for access to public and EU funds
– a review of the strategy on employing third-country nationals, which unions describe as incomplete and disruptive to labour relations
– full implementation of the “Ergani II” digital system, aimed at improving oversight and enforcement of workers’ rights
Labour council meeting ahead
The first meeting of the Labour Advisory Board under the new labour minister, Marinos Mousiouttas, is scheduled for Friday. The session is expected to set priorities and timelines amid heightened expectations and growing tensions in the labour market.
AKEL backs unions
The unions’ demand for a minimum wage increase has also received political backing from AKEL.
In a statement, AKEL said the Christodoulides government must listen to workers’ concerns and reconsider its decisions affecting the lowest-paid private sector employees. The party noted that the minimum wage was set below 60 percent of the median wage and that the government failed to deliver on its pledge to introduce an hourly minimum wage.
As a result, AKEL said, workers employed for 38 hours per week are paid the same as those working 42 or even 48 hours, deepening pay inequities at the bottom of the labour market.