PEO: Government Measures in Cyprus Are Limited — Urgent Additional Support Needed

The General Council of PEO (ΠΕΟ) stated on March 26 that the measures announced by the government in Cyprus are limited and require significant reinforcement, calling for additional social support measures.

In a statement released following the meeting, PEO pointed to concerns over developments in the Middle East and insisted that the burden of crises should not fall on workers, low-income pensioners, and vulnerable groups. Proposals include a radical improvement in payment policies for families with children, an increase in the minimum guaranteed income, and a revision of the criteria for the Easter allowance for low-income pensioners.

PEO also reiterated its initiative for the automatic inclusion of eligible persons into a special discounted electricity tariff for low consumption and demanded increased oversight to prevent price speculation and the application of price caps where necessary. The union welcomed wage subsidies in the hotel industry, provided that jobs are preserved and employees return to their previous employment status.

The organization's agenda includes expanding the coverage of collective agreements, the immediate introduction by the government of a bill on decent and sufficient wages, and a pension reform guaranteeing adequate income for all pensioners, with the expansion of the pension fund and the regulation of the 12% reduction for current and future pensioners, as well as the regulation of the state's debt to the Social Insurance Fund (ΤΚΑ).

PEO noted positive results for 2025: the recruitment of 7,258 new members and the organization of 186 new enterprises, which, in its view, confirms the growing trust of workers. The organization also stated that voting for AKEL (ΑΚΕΛ) is considered a vote in support of workers' interests.