Strike by healthcare workers has ended

AN INDEFINITE strike by state healthcare workers over pay and conditions ended on Thursday. Health Minister Ünal Üstel announced that the Cyprus Turkish Doctors’ Union (Tıpİş) has ended its action, which had affected nonurgent procedures, following a meeting with its leader Ahmet Varış.

Mr Üstel said doctors who have been working under contract since 2017 will be able to become permanent staff, and that interviews for vacancies have been initiated.

Healthcare workers have been paid some of the overtime due to them, he said, and Mr Üstel has consulted with the Finance Ministry for the remaining payments to be made in the coming days.

Dr Varış said that job security is the most “basic requirement” of doctors and that they have been “waiting for a solution” to the problems “for many years”. Dr Varış thanked Mr Üstel for the steps taken.

According to a statement provided by the Health Ministry, Dr Varış said: “As a result of our meeting with minister Üstel, as of today [Thursday] we will end our protests and health services will resume.”