Cyprus’ AKEL party on Tuesday sharply criticized the Christodoulides government’s new minimum wage framework, saying the levels set do not reflect the cost of living expected in 2026, fall short of European recommendations and leave low‑paid workers vulnerable to inequality and abusive practices.
In a statement, AKEL said the government must listen to workers’ concerns and reconsider its decision, which affects the lowest‑paid employees in the private sector.
The party argued that a starting gross wage of €979, rising to €1,088 after six months, is insufficient to cover basic needs such as housing, electricity, food and fuel.
AKEL said the government’s approach is flawed on two fronts. First, it noted that the minimum wage was set below 60% of the median wage, a benchmark referenced in the relevant EU directive.
“In other words, the government has set the minimum wage below the European bar,” the party said.
Second, AKEL criticized the government for failing to introduce an hourly minimum wage, saying this results in employees working 38 hours a week being paid the same as those working 42 or even 48 hours.
The party said this opens the door to abusive practices that force workers to put in more hours without overtime pay.
Such decisions, AKEL said, will not reduce social inequalities or meaningfully support low‑income workers. It pointed to recent Eurostat data placing Cyprus among the lowest in the EU in minimum wage purchasing power, behind countries such as Greece, Romania, Poland, Slovenia and Croatia.
AKEL said the government must ensure workers receive what they are entitled to: a real improvement in their income and standard of living.