Recent research by the Department of Labour Relations (DLR) has shown that there was a spike in strikes during the financial crisis, especially in 2012. “Deputy secretary general of PEO trade union, Sotiroula Charalambous, told the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday that there were two main reasons for the increase in strikes. Firstly, many employers breached collective bargaining agreements, which forced workers towards industrial action. Secondly, the strikes have increased due to the worker unions’ struggles against the privatization of public services,” Charalambous added.”