State authorities have been searching for over a month for CyBC director general Thanasis Tsokos to serve him with orders to appear before a disciplinary procedure. Tsokos has been unavailable for almost a month, stalling the entire procedure. The ministry has requested cabinet to appoint an individual to investigate the claims against Tsokos.
Lendlease is facing a big battle with major investors, with a showdown expected later this month.
Unions representing public hospital nurses demanded the hiring of another 170 nurses due to staff shortages. Public hospitals are always short-staffed, with significant shortages caused by retirements, transfers, and staff on leave. Private hospitals have more flexible working conditions and can service the same number of beds with a third of the nurses. The health ministry and Okypy should focus on making better use of hospital staff rather than hiring more nurses. Some nurses are seconded to other parts of the public sector and not performing nursing duties, contributing to the staffing shortage.
The nursing staff branch of trade union Pasydy warned of potential strikes due to ongoing understaffing issues in public hospitals. They accused the state health service (Okypy) of not honoring an agreement made in February 2023 regarding staffing needs for nurses. Pasydy stated that there is a dire need to hire over 170 nurses in public hospitals and gave Okypy a deadline to clarify their plans. Okypy spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou defended the organization, stating they employ the largest number of nurses in Cyprus and aim to fully utilize existing nursing staff. Pasydy released a statement expressing concern over the health ministry’s lack of intention to address staffing shortages, leading them to consider taking measures to compel the ministry to address the issues seriously.
The government of Cyprus is proposing new regulations to standardize sick leave in the public sector, reducing annual sick leave from 42 to 28 days and sick days without a doctor’s certificate from 8 to 6. Unions are opposing these changes and calling for broader consultations, which the government believes will prevent the regulations from being updated or standardized. The government argues that the abuses of sick leave entitlement are costly to the taxpayer and should be addressed through imposition of regulations rather than prolonged dialogue with unions.
A former senior police officer is trying to stop disciplinary proceedings against him, which began in 2021 after 11 officers filed complaints about his behavior. Despite the ongoing hearing, the officer’s retirement prompted a request to discontinue the proceedings, citing legislation that prohibits civilian prosecution for police disciplinary offenses. The Disciplinary Committee plans to continue the process but is waiting for the prosecuting authority’s official position on the legal challenge.
The Cyprus government has decided to reduce sick leave days for civil servants from 42 days to 28 days. The period of absence without a medical certificate has also been reduced from eight days to six days. The government aims to boost productivity and modernize public services. The new regulations include three six-month periods of sick leave extensions for chronic patients, with varying levels of pay. The requirement for approval of sick leave extensions by a medical council has been eliminated. The government has also implemented other measures to reform public services, such as facilitating remote working and introducing flexible work hours. The government has sought assistance from the International Monetary Fund to rationalize the state payroll. The decision to reduce sick leave entitlement was made due to past cases of misuse and the observation that most civil servants do not fully utilize their entitled sick leave days. The government has also approved a policy framework for flexible forms of employment in the public service, including remote work and flexible working hours. Civil servants can work from home certain days of the week or for a continuous period during the year. They can also choose to work reduced hours if covered by the relevant legislation. The extension of flexible working hours from 1½ hours to 2 hours has also been implemented.