Trade unions at the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) are escalating industrial action, saying repeated warnings to management about unresolved problems affecting the organisation's viability, the cost of electricity and supply adequacy have gone unheeded.
From 7am on Thursday, 9 July 2026, shifts at the Vasilikos, Dhekelia and Moni power stations will operate with safety personnel only, with no units added to or removed from the electricity system.
In a letter to the Director General of the Electricity Authority, the unions said that despite repeated meetings at which they stressed the Authority should rise to the occasion and press for solutions to serious problems facing EAC and the energy sector, those problems remain unresolved. They added that they were also observing actions by the state that were making the situation worse.
The unions said they were watching with serious concern as the electricity sector's difficulties, driven by a lack of strategic planning on the part of the state and by delays and inaction on the part of the responsible bodies, continued to have negative consequences for consumers and the economy, and were now affecting the Authority's own operations.
The state, the letter said, should be focused on ensuring adequate electricity supply, security of supply, support for consumers, genuine access to photovoltaics for all, and lower costs for consumers. Instead, the unions argued, the state continues, as it has done historically, to occupy itself with superficial and unrealistic proposals that claim to reduce the cost of electricity, while in reality costs keep rising, as does the risk of a total blackout.
Previous strikes
The unions noted they had already held strikes on 27 February 2026 (two hours), 18 March 2026 (three hours) and 23 April 2026 (24 hours), during which they conveyed staff's determination to keep fighting to protect and safeguard the organisation for the benefit of the economy and consumers. Despite allowing considerable time for a response, they said, there had been no movement toward resolving the problems they had long raised, problems they say affect the organisation's viability, the cost of electricity and supply adequacy.
As a result, and now that the election period has passed, the unions said they were following through on their commitments. They warned that the shift to safety-personnel-only staffing at the three stations, which will now go ahead, is something they have repeatedly pointed out increases the cost of electricity in the country, creates knock-on problems for the operation of the units, and puts strain on both staff and equipment, increasing the maintenance required.
