Members of the Cyprus Primary Teachers’ Union (POED) will hold a work stoppage on Thursday, 18 December 2025, in response to the ongoing debate in parliament over the government’s proposed teachers’ evaluation bill.
In its statement, POED says that taking action has become “the only path available”, adding that additional measures remain possible. The decision was taken during today’s meeting of the union’s Executive Board, which reviewed the situation based on the latest developments.
According to the union, the bill that appears to be heading to a vote in the House of Representatives diverges from POED’s established positions, despite repeated efforts to communicate its concerns. The union expresses “serious concern” that parliamentary amendments have altered the bill even in areas where POED and the Ministry of Education had previously reached convergence.
One of the key disagreements involves the proposed role of assistant head teachers and school principals in the final evaluation of teaching staff, a provision to which POED has consistently objected.
POED notes that it had anticipated this outcome, arguing that since May 2025 the Ministry of Education had proceeded unilaterally with submitting a bill containing disagreements, ambiguities and gaps that had not been agreed with the organisation.
The union adds that despite repeatedly raising these issues, the Ministry did not adequately address its concerns. It concludes that industrial action is now inevitable, with the possibility of further steps remaining open.