Unions to protest outside Limassol’s casino resort

Two unions are planning to hold a protest outside City of Dreams Mediterranean casino resort in Zakaki next Tuesday, a day after its official opening.

Following the casino’s opening to the public next Monday, workers from two trade unions will stage a protest, claiming union officials have been barred from accessing the workplace for five years.

A joint statement from Peo and Deok unions said that the casino operator “despises the institutions and the laws of the Republic of Cyprus.”

The unions called on the labour relations department to ensure the right of trade union officials to access all workplaces, as is set out in Cypriot law, and called on employers’ associations to bring the venue into line with regulations.

The protest will begin at 5:30pm on Tuesday, but the unions announced that their representatives will be present throughout the day distributing flyers.

“Let us all demand the inalienable and constitutionally guaranteed right of access of union officials to the workplace and the constitutional right to unionise,” they said.

The company did not immediately have a comment.

The resort has currently been operating under a “soft opening”, open to residents of the resort. It is set to open its doors to the wider public on July 10.

The City of Dreams Mediterranean is set to be Europe’s first integrated casino resort, with 500 guest rooms.

The development spans a total of 7,500 square metres, while hosting the largest presidential suite on the island, a grand ballroom with a capacity of 1,000 people, and a Roman-style amphitheatre.