Bus unions suspend strike after talks with ministry (update 2)

Cyprus public transport employees suspended their indefinite strike on Saturday, a day after it was announced, following an agreement with the company to retain 36 employees who were recently told they would be dismissed.

The strike in Nicosia and Larnaca was suspended after a four-hour meeting with Cyprus public transport representatives and employee unions at the transport ministry on Saturday with the aim to restore public transport in the districts.

In statements after the meeting, director general of the ministry Stavros Michael said the agreement was subject to the general assemblies of the employees’ unions which will be held in Nicosia and Larnaca at 4.30 on Saturday.

Provided the proposal is accepted by the workers as well, the buses will resume operations on Sunday morning, Michael added.

According to Michael, some problems were discussed and “agreed upon” during the meeting on Saturday.

He added it has been agreed that some other issues can be resolved directly with the company while those that are purely union matters will be taken to the department of industrial relations.

Regarding the 36 dismissals, which took place due to redundancies, he said discussions would continue on the basis of the Code of Industrial Relations at the Ministry of Labour on Monday morning. Other issues concerning the company’s operation will also be discussed on Monday at the road transport department, he added.

“The transport ministry has stepped in not to replace the labour ministry, but as a facilitator since our responsibility and competence is to continue to provide public transport,” he said.

Employees of the company operating Nicosia and Larnaca buses had called the indefinite strike on Friday, demanding their employer revoke early redundancies and resolve a number of problems.

They said that with the support of Peo and Sek trade unions they had decided on industrial action effective from midday on Friday.

The employees said that the drivers’ working schedule was compressed and in many cases they did not have the required breaks. Tachographs do not operate on a number of buses, while checks from the road transport department are inadequate.

Cypriot employees at many of the operation’s departments have been sidelined and work is being done by staff brought in from abroad – more than 80 drivers and about 20 auxiliary employees have left since the new company took over, they said. Recently, the company had informed the labour ministry and the trade unions it would dismiss 36 employees.

Sek and Peo referred the issue to the labour relations department of the ministry, however according to an announcement, the company went ahead unilaterally and dismissed the staff, even though the procedure is still before the ministry.

According to the announcement, the company had tried to convince employees to accept voluntary early retirement plans, claiming that they had been agreed between the ministry and the union.

“Ignoring the proposal of the mediation service submitted to the two sides, the company went ahead unilaterally with illegal dismissals, violating labour institutions in Cyprus,” the announcement added.

The workers said they had no other choice than to stage a spontaneous, indefinite strike to demand that dismissals are revoked and problems facing employees are addressed.