32 Unions in Northern Cyprus Announce General Strike

A coalition of 32 unions in Northern Cyprus is set to hold a general strike to protest proposed legislative changes that impact collective bargaining agreements and cost-of-living adjustments. The strike is scheduled to begin on December 26 at 9:30 a.m. with a protest in front of the Parliament building.

In a joint statement, the unions criticized the proposed law and decree, which they argue are designed to undermine workers' rights to collective bargaining. “This legislation is a direct attack on organized labor,” the statement read. It also warned that “eliminating the indexing of wages to the cost of living will reduce real wages and erode the purchasing power of citizens.”

The unions made their position clear:
“On December 26, we will hold a general strike and a rally in front of Parliament. We are prepared to maintain our strike until the proposed law on collective bargaining is withdrawn. Let it be known—we will not stop even if the government tries to ban strikes.”

Unions Participating in the Strike:

KTÖS, KTAMS, KTOEÖS, KAMUSEN, KAMU-İŞ, DEV-İŞ, Devrimci Genel-İş, Emek-İş, Petrol-İş, GÜÇ-SEN, VERGİ-SEN, BAYSEN, BÜRO-İŞ, HÜR-İŞ, BASS, MALİYESEN, DAÜBİRSEN, HAKSEN, ÇAĞSEN, DAÜSEN, BASINSEN, TIP-İŞ, HTKS, KES, AS-SEN, KİEF, TÜRK-SEN, GIDA-SEN, EL-SEN, TELSEN, Mağusa Türk Genel İş Sendikası, ADA-SEN.