Politis

Top-Level Clash over New Police Schedule - 'Bakalistiki Decision' says Loizidis, Chief Reacts

Published January 21, 2026, 16:15
Top-Level Clash over New Police Schedule - 'Bakalistiki Decision' says Loizidis, Chief Reacts

A heated clash erupted in the Parliamentary Legal Committee regarding the recent decision by the Chief of Police to change the working hours of police officers working in a shift system. The decision affects over 1,000 frontline police officers and has sparked strong reactions from the unions, who denounce it as unilateral and harmful to the rest, morale, and pay of personnel. The Chief of Police, Themistos Arnautis, defended his decision, citing Article 8 of the Police Law and stating that aligning the schedule with the Public Service is a long-standing request. He argued that the change is necessary for modernizing the Police, operational readiness, and European compliance. The ISOTITA union accused the leadership of undermining the morale of police officers and stressed that resorting to the courts was the only option.