Unions threaten to refuse overtime work due to payment delays

Six public sector unions in the TRNC have announced possible protest measures due to non-payment of overtime. They demand that arrears be settled no later than May 1, otherwise, from May 4, employees will refuse to work outside the established schedule.

A joint statement by the organizations KTAMS, KAMUSEN, GÜÇ-SEN, KAMU-İŞ, as well as the Nurses and Midwives Union and TIP-İŞ, emphasizes that overtime payments have not been made since January.

The unions note that civil servants and healthcare workers regularly perform duties outside of working hours, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of key services. However, according to them, the government is failing to fulfill its obligations and is not even adhering to the established payment schedule.

KTAMS head Güven Bengihan stated that the current situation violates the rights of workers who sacrifice personal time for the functioning of state structures.

The organizations warn that in the event of further delays, employees will exercise their legal right to refuse overtime work and may resort to other forms of protest.

Thus, the conflict between the unions and the government risks affecting the operation of public services as early as the beginning of May.