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Justice Minister to Meet with Police Unions Amidst Working Hour Dispute

Published December 31, 2025, 14:24

The Minister of Justice and Public Order, Kostas Fytiris, will meet with representatives of all police unions on Friday, January 2nd, at his own invitation. The purpose of the meetings is to map out issues falling under the Ministry's jurisdiction. A central topic from the unions is expected to be the working hours of police officers, as tensions have risen over the recent circular issued by the Chief of Police on the matter. The unions, including PASYDY and the Cyprus Police Association (CAP), are protesting against the “flagrant violation of labor institutions” and the “unilateral modification” of working hours, which they consider a fundamental right. The Equality union points out that the decision to reduce daily working hours violates acquired rights. The Equality union expects the Minister of Justice to clarify whether the Government agreed with the Chief of Police's decision. They believe the answer will reveal whether there is agreement or disagreement between the Government and the Police. The Police Spokesman, Vyronas Vyronos, responded to the unions' objections, arguing that the Chief of Police is not seeking to harm police officers, but to apply rational criteria for the better functioning of the force and the safety of citizens. He also assured that overtime work is not being abolished, but will only be applied when there is a real need, as cases of abuse had been observed.