The president of the Police Branch of the ISOTITA union, Nikos Loizidis, has strongly criticised recent changes to the police work schedule, describing the decision as mathematically flawed, unfair and legally questionable.
Speaking on the television programme “Protoselido”, Loizidis said the way the police work schedule was altered has created serious concerns among officers, MPs and legal experts.
Same hours, fewer rest days
Loizidis clarified that despite official claims, the total annual working hours of police officers have not increased. According to him, officers are working exactly the same number of hours as before, with the only substantive change in the police work schedule being a reduction of 15 rest days per year.
He said this contradiction has raised concerns even among MPs, who questioned how such an “absurd” arrangement could continue without delivering any tangible benefit to police operations.
Productivity argument rejected
Addressing claims of increased productivity, Loizidis was categorical: productivity cannot rise when total working hours remain unchanged.
“If the hours are the same, why was the system changed?” he asked, arguing that the redesign of the police work schedule served only to cut rest days. In his view, this undermines the philosophy of the law, as it produces no operational gain for the police force.
Criticism of police leadership
Loizidis was particularly critical of the Police Chief’s stance, noting that a proposal for a personal suspension of the decision was rejected, alongside a reluctance to engage in meaningful dialogue.
While acknowledging the difficult position of the Police Chief, he said it has become clear that the decision affecting the police work schedule was wrong- something the Chief allegedly admitted by describing it as unfair to officers. However, Loizidis rejected claims that previous police leaderships failed to implement the law.
Legal concerns and court action
According to Loizidis, former police chiefs Kypros Michaelides and Stelios Papatheodorou fully and faithfully applied the legislation as approved by parliament. Claims to the contrary, he said, amount to unsubstantiated accusations of illegality.
ISOTITA has already filed a case with the Administrative Court, citing serious legal concerns linked to the changes in the police work schedule. Loizidis explained that while the law grants the Police Chief powers to ensure smooth operation, changes to rest days and duty hours should be made through regulations, not unilateral decisions.
Shock and possible appeal to the President
Loizidis revealed that he is currently “in a state of shock for a specific reason”, declining to elaborate further. He said he is considering seeking approval from his union council to contact Nikos Christodoulides directly in the coming days.
“This has also taken on a human dimension,” he said, adding that MPs, colleagues and journalists have all sensed the seriousness of the situation.
Morale at stake
Concluding his remarks, Loizidis said the issue is not merely financial or labour-related. Although savings of around €1.3 million are expected, he questioned whether it was worth damaging morale and cohesion within the police force for such an amount.
“The police force has been wounded,” he warned, adding that unless there is a change of course in the police work schedule, reactions will escalate in what he described as the public interest and the good of the police service.
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