The Employers and Industrialists Federation (Oev) on Tuesday condemned a work stoppage at the Larnaca port, saying the strike is taking place in violation of the industrial relations code.

It is for the umpteenth time that workers operate “completely outside the institutionalised procedures and labour institutions” instead choosing “the path of conflict” to try and impose their demands, the federation said.

While there is no industrial dispute before the mediation service of the labour ministry, the workers proceeded with a strike “completely disregarding the problems created for traders, other workers, consumers and the economy in general”

Oev called on the state to finally proceed with the adoption of its proposal on the legislative regulation of the agreement on how to settle labour disputes in essential services.