NICOSIA — Cyprus will shut down for three hours on Thursday as workers across all sectors—public and private—join a nationwide strike from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Major disruptions are expected, especially in the capital, where traffic congestion is considered inevitable.
Parents are responsible for transporting their children to and from school. All students must be picked up by 11 a.m., as no return bus routes will operate. Those attending all-day or special-interest schools must also be returned to school by parents after the strike ends and collected again at the end of the school day.
No meals will be provided at all-day schools. Community kindergartens will operate based on instructions from their respective managing bodies, including parent associations, municipalities, and volunteer councils.
Public hospitals will operate with emergency staff only. Outpatient clinics will close during the strike and reopen after 2 p.m. Scheduled appointments and surgeries during the strike window will be rescheduled. “No lives will be at risk. We’ve taken precautions,” said OKYPY spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou.
Essential services such as electricity, telecommunications, water supply, prisons, and ports will also operate with skeleton crews. The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) announced that customer service centers will be open from 7:45 to 10:45 a.m. and resume afternoon operations from 3:00 to 5:15 p.m.
Citizens with scheduled appointments during the strike will receive notifications about rescheduling procedures.
Hermes Airports reported that more than 50 flights at Larnaca and Paphos airports will be affected, impacting over 15,000 passengers. Cancellations include Qatar Airways flights to and from Kuwait and Doha, and Emirates flights from Dubai to Malta. Passengers are advised to check the Hermes website or contact their airline, travel agent, or ground service provider for updated flight information.
Cyprus Public Transport announced significant disruptions to bus services in Nicosia and Larnaca. Only morning school routes will operate; all return routes are canceled.
The main demonstration will take place at noon outside the Ministry of Finance in Nicosia, with additional gatherings planned in each district.