Civil servants’ union Pasydy insisted on Tuesday that more than 90 per cent of civil servants do not make use of sick leave, following growing scrutiny of absentee levels in the public sector.

Pasydy said public debate in recent days risked creating a distorted picture of the workforce, stressing that “the overwhelming majority” of employees do not rely on sick leave despite claims that some workers remain absent for extended periods.

The union reiterated that the entitlement exists to protect employees who become temporarily unable to work because of illness.

Pasydy said safeguarding the rights of workers, particularly “those suffering from chronic health conditions”, remained its primary concern.

It warned against any approach that could lead to discrimination or adverse treatment of employees whose illnesses genuinely prevent them from carrying out their duties.

At the same time, Pasydy did concede that “abuse may occur in isolated cases” and said existing regulations already contain provisions to address excessive or unjustified absences.

It argued that appropriate controls should be applied wherever misuse is identified, while maintaining that individual cases should not be used to undermine a protected employment right.

The intervention follows comments made by Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas, who said the government is preparing legislative changes after identifying weaknesses in the current framework governing sick leave in the public sector.

On Monday he had referred to cases involving a coast guard employee whose medical condition prevents him from serving on a vessel and a teacher suffering from agoraphobia who is unable to teach in a classroom environment as examples of alleged abuses.

Speaking on Alpha, Mousiouttas said authorities had encountered cases in which employees remained absent from work for prolonged periods through repeated use of existing procedures.

“There are departments which have cases of people being absent for six or seven consecutive years,” he said.

The minister explained that employees are initially entitled to up to 42 days of sick leave before appearing before a medical board.

The board can then grant up to six months’ leave on full pay, followed by a further six months on half pay if the medical condition persists.

He argued that a loophole arises when an employee briefly returns to work before restarting the process.

According to the minister, the issue is not necessarily that employees are acting unlawfully, but that the existing framework allows situations which can result in lengthy absences without substantial financial consequences.

“What they are doing is perfectly legal. The question is why the opportunity is given for this to happen,” he said.

Mousiouttas stressed that the government’s concerns relate exclusively to proven cases of abuse and not to employees suffering from genuine or chronic illnesses.

“Woe betides us if someone is chronically ill, we are not discussing those cases,” he said.

Following a meeting involving the ministers of labour, finance, justice and health, proposals are now being examined by the public administration department.

The recommendations are expected to be discussed with trade unions before any amendments are drafted and submitted to parliament.

Pasydy said it is prepared to participate in those discussions and expressed its willingness to cooperate with the government in addressing cases where abuse is demonstrated.

However, the union made clear that it would oppose any attempt to weaken what it described as “a guaranteed and institutionalised” labour right, insisting that reforms must target misuse without affecting employees who depend on sick leave for legitimate medical reasons.