Trade unions at Cyprus’s Electricity Authority (EAC) have criticised both the energy ministry and company management over what they termed the “unacceptable deterioration of EAC regarding marginal electricity adequacy” and delays in crucial infrastructure projects.
In a statement today, the unions accused the energy minister of “unilateral assignment of responsibility to EAC” whilst highlighting the ministry’s failure to secure EU approval for all suppliers’ customers to pay costs for infrastructure projects required for power supply adequacy and security.
Dekelia station dispute
The unions responded to the energy minister’s comments that he had given consent to EAC for installing a unit at Dekelia and that “we should not expect him to come and put in the screw himself”, describing this as a mocking approach to a serious situation.
“The unilateral attribution of responsibility to EAC by the Minister for the serious and unacceptable delay observed in implementing the Dekelia power station upgrade project and his mocking approach to the ‘screw’ demonstrates that both the Ministry and the State, as well as EAC, have not understood the seriousness and tragedy of the situation,” the statement said.
The unions blamed the energy ministry for the project’s failure, saying it “failed” to support what was proper and correct for the country in the European arena, where positions prevailed from those making “super-profits” who demand their customers be exempted from upgrade costs.
Infrastructure concerns
The unions criticised EAC management for being pushed to consider infrastructure projects based on their economic returns rather than necessity, saying the authority should be freed from what they called short-circuiting caused by announcements about natural gas arrival and electrical interconnection.
They noted that the European Investment Bank and finance minister consider the electrical interconnection project as non-viable and said expectations of the electrical cable’s arrival forced EAC into massive, costly inactive investments.
The statement warned this approach leads to single-point electricity generation logic in the Vasilikos area, describing it as “putting all eggs in one basket” – a practice the state has condemned through parliament, the auditor general, and other bodies, noting that the Mari disaster taught nothing.
Union warning
The unions warned they would no longer remain passive about the situation, which they said does not ensure the organisation’s well-understood interest, damages its image, makes the working environment difficult and does not guarantee electricity adequacy and supply security.
“Neither is today’s electricity cost and household photovoltaic cuts acceptable,” they added.
The statement said workers had given credit time for issue resolution following the energy minister’s 3 December 2024 statement that projects would proceed and employee mobilisations would be unnecessary.
The unions said they met with EAC’s board of directors and management on 22 July 2025 to discuss these issues affecting the electricity sector and expect them to rise to their mission and fulfil obligations arising from their high office through immediate actions to implement decisions for solving electricity sector problems.