The government’s decision sets the minimum wage below the European benchmark

 

5 January 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The Christodoulides government must listen to workers’ concerns and review its decisions regarding the minimum wage for the lowest-paid workers in the private sector.

An initial gross salary of €979 and an increase to €1,088 after six months are not enough to cover essential needs such as housing, electricity, food, and fuel in Cyprus in 2026.

The decision of the Christodoulides government generates serious problems on two levels.

First, the minimum wage was set below 60% of the median wage, a percentage that is even mentioned in the recommendations of the relevant EU Directive.

In other words, the government’s decision sets the minimum wage below the European benchmark.

Secondly, the Christodoulides government has not fulfilled its commitment to set an hourly minimum wage, with the result that employees working 38 hours per week are paid the same as those working 42 or even 48 hours. In practice, this paves the way for abusive practices whereby workers are forced to work longer hours without overtime pay.

This will not reduce social inequalities, nor will it provide any real support to low-paid workers.

Recent Eurostat statistics rank Cyprus at the bottom of the table regarding the minimum wage in terms of purchasing power. Countries such as Greece, Romania, Poland, Slovenia, and Croatia rank much higher than Cyprus in the corresponding table.

AKEL insists that the Christodoulides government must ensure that working people get what they are entitled to: a real improvement in their income and standard of living.