Occupied Territories: Unions Threaten Strike Over Cost of Living Allowance

Labor unions in the occupied territories are threatening an indefinite general strike if the "bill" for the "cost of living allowance" (ATA) is approved by the "parliament." The decision was announced after a meeting of the unions.

According to reports, the ATA will be paid at the end of April for salaries, pensions, and benefits, and then again at the end of January 2027. The president of the Turkish Cypriot teachers' union, Selma Eylem, stated that if the "government" imposes a strike ban, they will resort to acts of "civil disobedience."

Additionally, the general secretary of the Turkish Cypriot teachers' union, Burak Mavis, expressed the educators' opposition to the "language proficiency certificate" required for the enrollment of foreign children in schools, calling it illegal. Burak Mavis emphasized that Article 59 of the "constitution" assigns the "state" the duty to protect the right to education of every child.