Unions in occupied Northern Cyprus strike over cost-of-living adjustments

On Monday, 62 unions and organizations in the occupied areas of Cyprus staged a general strike and mass demonstrations to protest the government's decision to freeze or limit cost-of-living allowance adjustments (ATA). Protesters gathered at multiple locations in northern Nicosia, aiming to converge outside the new parliament building. The protests follow a government decree issued last week that implemented changes to the ATA, bypassing further parliamentary debate after sessions were previously interrupted. As a result of the strike, all schools were closed, and scheduled secondary education examinations were postponed. The president of the teachers' union KTOEOS, Selma Eylem, stated that the strike is necessary to protect children's futures and labor rights, while the secretary general of the primary school teachers' union KTOS, Burak Mavis, argued that the current government has lost its social legitimacy. While the government claims the decree was necessary to meet end-of-March deadlines, union leaders remain committed to continued escalation until their demands are met.