**Larnaca Hospital Nurses Stage Walkout Over Overcrowding**
Larnaca, Cyprus – Nursing staff at Larnaca General Hospital initiated a one-hour work stoppage on Wednesday morning, protesting against chronic issues at the facility, including severe overcrowding and staff exhaustion. The spontaneous action, which took place from 8 AM to 9 AM, was organized by the general nursing staff branch of the civil servants' union, Pasydy.
The union highlighted that the primary catalyst for the protest was the significant overcrowding observed in recent days. Reports indicated that patients were forced to wait for extended periods in the accident and emergency department due to a lack of available hospital beds. In response to the escalating situation, hospital management had opened five additional beds, staffed through overtime shifts. However, Pasydy criticized this measure as insufficient, asserting that it failed to address the underlying problems.
According to Pasydy, nursing staff are currently "at the limits of professional burnout," with many required to work continuous overtime to meet the increasing demand for care. The union expressed concerns that this situation jeopardizes both the physical and mental health of nurses, as well as the safety of patients receiving care at the hospital.
In light of these challenges, the union has called upon the state health services organization, Okypy, to implement "substantive and permanent" solutions to the ongoing issues at Larnaca General Hospital, rather than relying on temporary fixes that do not adequately address the root causes of the overcrowding and staff shortages.
The protest at Larnaca General Hospital coincides with a broader labor dispute affecting around 11,000 hourly-paid workers across various sectors in Cyprus, who are set to participate in a nationwide strike on Thursday. This group includes approximately 6,500 hourly-paid government employees and an additional 5,500 workers from the state health services organization and school boards, who are not on the government payroll.
The finance ministry has urged unions to reconsider the planned strike and return to negotiations, emphasizing that the unions' demands could impose an additional €50 million burden over the three-year collective agreement period. The central point of contention in the ongoing negotiations is a demand for an eight percent general pay increase.
Thursday's strike marks the second 24-hour nationwide work stoppage by hourly-paid government workers this year, following a historic strike on June 24, which was described by unions as the first of its kind since the establishment of the Republic. The ongoing labor disputes reflect growing tensions between the government and unions regarding pay and working conditions for hourly-paid workers, as they seek improvements in their employment terms for the upcoming 2025-2027 collective agreement period.
As the situation develops, both the nursing staff at Larnaca General Hospital and the broader workforce are advocating for changes that they believe are essential for ensuring adequate healthcare services and fair working conditions in Cyprus.