A police union in Cyprus, called Isotita, has made serious accusations. They say the Chief of Police, Themistos Arnaoutis, went beyond his legal power. This is about a big change to police officers' working hours. Isotita believes the new shift patterns and rest days needed approval. They say this approval should have come from the Council of Ministers. However, Isotita claims this important step was skipped. This has now attracted attention from other countries.
The European police group, EuroCOP, will send people to Cyprus. They want to look closely at this situation. The main problem is Article 13 of the police law. Isotita says this law states that any changes to duty hours must be approved by the government. Nikos Loizides, who leads the Isotita police branch, said this clearly. He stated in a radio interview that this approval was not obtained.
Mr. Loizides directly accused the Chief of Police of having "too much authority." Their lawyers agree with Isotita. They think the current plan by the police leadership is not legal. Isotita says the proposed changes will greatly affect police officers on duty. It will change their daily lives and their health.
The union claims the new rules would give officers fewer rest days. Instead of one rest day for every 20 work days, it could be one for every 76 work days. This big change could mean officers get up to 15 fewer rest days each year. Isotita argues this is against basic worker rights. They say police leaders cannot change these rights alone. Isotita also accused the Justice Minister of targeting frontline officers.
This disagreement has become an international issue. Isotita feels this situation is very serious. EuroCOP will visit Cyprus soon to investigate. After their visit, they will tell the European Parliament their findings. This international attention is because Isotita called the situation an "international disgrace." They feel Cypriot police officers are being treated unfairly. The union is firm and expects a long fight against the proposed changes.