 moved to limit cost-of-living payments for public employees, prompting trade unions to accuse the government of undermining workers’ purchasing power.){kind=link}
Turkish Cypriots staged a general strike on Monday after authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) moved to limit cost-of-living payments for public employees, prompting trade unions to accuse the government of undermining workers’ purchasing power.
The dispute began after draft amendments published in the official gazette on March 19 proposed changing the payment system for the allowance, which helps wages keep up with inflation. The bill says the payment would be applied only twice, in April 2026 and January 2027, across multiple categories of public employees and retirees.
Finance Minister Özdemir Berova said at the time that public workers would receive the allowance at the end of April but that there would be no further salary increase until January 2027. He said the move was part of economic measures aimed at preserving fiscal balance and predictability for the business sector.
Trade unions rejected the plan and warned that if the bill advanced they would launch an indefinite general strike. By Monday, teacher unions and other labor groups had joined the action, with local media reporting marches from several points in northern Nicosia toward the legislature building.
According to the draft text, the government justified the change by pointing to the regional war climate, supply disruptions and rising energy and import costs, which it said had created pressure on public finances.
The KKTC is a state that declared independence after Turkey’s 1974 military intervention on the island and is recognized only by Turkey. The cost-of-living allowance has long been a sensitive issue because many households depend on public sector income, and inflation tied to the Turkish lira has eroded purchasing power.