Cyprus Times

Equality Demands Respect for Pension Fund Choice

Published February 19, 2026, 14:07
Equality Demands Respect for Pension Fund Choice

The Pan-Cypriot Union "ISOTITA" is protesting the refusal of certain School Boards to respect employees' right to choose the "LifeGoals" Pension Fund instead of the Provident Fund stipulated in the Collective Agreement. While some Boards, such as those of Athens and Dromolaxia-Meneou, are already paying contributions to "LifeGoals", others, such as Larnaca, Xylofagou and Xylotymbou, insist on the Provident Fund, which is fully covered by the state budget. The union argues that contributions not ending up in the employee's chosen fund or the Collective Agreement Fund create an "invisible" capital reserve that "disappears". Furthermore, it accuses the Ministry of Education of delegating its supervisory responsibilities to the opinion of a private lawyer, instead of investigating where the funds are going. The conflict of interest of the Director of the Department of Labor Relations, who is also the Vice-President of the School Board of Nicosia, is also highlighted. ISOTITA demands full compliance of all School Boards with the right to free choice of fund, with retroactive registration and payment of withheld amounts. It also requests full transparency and accountability for the route of state funds intended for the Provident Fund, the exclusion of officials with a conflict of interest from examining cases, the intervention of the Auditor General to investigate the fate of the funds, and the intervention of the Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights for the conflict of interest and unequal treatment.