Dialogos

Employers' Federation Rejects Hourly Minimum Wage

Published January 2, 2026, 08:02
Employers' Federation Rejects Hourly Minimum Wage

The Employers' and Industrialists Federation (OEB) strongly opposes the trade unions' proposal for an hourly application of the National Minimum Wage, characterizing it as an attempt to impose a maximum working time. The OEB's General Director, Michalis Antoniou, emphasized that the issue should have been discussed through dialogue, not through pressure on the Presidency. The OEB insists that working hours should be regulated at the sectoral level, as traditionally practiced in Cyprus. Furthermore, the OEB believes that the recent 9% increase in the minimum wage is not economically justified, given the low inflation rate. The OEB's stance is expected to exacerbate tensions with the trade unions.