Filenews 9 July 2024
A spontaneous two-hour work stoppage, from 07:00 in the morning, was carried out by the staff of the Airport Service and the Larnaka and Pafos Traffic Office, members of PASYDY.
According to them, the reasons that prompted the staff to strike are the breaking of promises we have received from two Ministers, three Directors-General of the Ministry of Transport and the Director of the Department of Civil Aviation regarding the double crossing of positions of the Airport Service, which the Department of Civil Aviation unilaterally decided to abolish in 2018.
As they explain, the elimination of seats results in the serious understaffing of the Airport Service, affecting the proper operation and safety of our airports. Typical is the case of Pafos airport where in many cases in order not to close the airport due to understaffing, colleagues working at Larnaka airport are forced to go to Paphos to serve the needs and gaps created by understaffing.
"We understand that the measures we are forced to take will inconvenience our fellow citizens, and we sincerely apologize for this inconvenience. However, we would like to stress that we have shown for many years our good intentions towards a definitive solution to the problem.
Unfortunately, the letter we received last week from the Department of Public Administration and Personnel informing us of the existence of another agreement with the Department of Civil Aviation, contrary to what we agreed in the presence of the current Minister and the current Director General of the Ministry of Transport, left us surprised and with the only measure of reaction being the work stoppage. We wonder how such a decision was taken in the absence of the staff and the official PASYDY", they add.
«We look forward to the immediate and catalytic intervention of both the state and the Minister and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport for the immediate solution of the problem. We are asking for nothing more and we accept nothing less than the immediate implementation of what we have agreed, namely the unfolding of positions. We hope that the matter will have a happy ending to avoid further escalation," the statement concluded.
It is noted that, as a representative of the managing company of Larnaka and Pafos airports, Hermes Airports, told CNA, the work stoppage did not affect the operation of the airports.
