Cyprus Ambulance Workers Postpone Overtime Refusal for Two Weeks

Ambulance paramedics in Cyprus have postponed their planned refusal to work overtime. If the Cabinet of Ministers does not approve a bill aimed at protecting their profession, the protest will begin in two weeks, on February 27.

In an interview with the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Michalis Arestis, the head of the Cyprus Ambulance Paramedics Association, explained that the union had received assurances from Health Minister Michael Damiannos that the bill would be presented to the Cabinet of Ministers immediately before being sent to Parliament for a vote.

The Minister assured that the legal processing of the bill had been completed, and that he would officially receive all necessary documents by Monday, after which he would submit an amendment for discussion at the Cabinet meeting by February 26.

The union leader further stated that if the bill is not brought before the Cabinet by February 26, paramedics will begin refusing to work overtime.

Initially, the healthcare workers had planned to stop working overtime from Monday to Saturday as a protest against the ongoing staffing shortages within the ambulance service.