Larnaca Public Transport said on Tuesday it was willing to negotiate with trade unions to find a mutually acceptable agreement to the benefit of the public, ahead of a one-day strike planned for Wednesday.

The bus company apologised to its passengers for any inconvenience caused by Wednesday’s measures and blamed the unions for causing problems by calling a strike.

Larnaca Public Transport said the labour ministry had declared a deadlock in the negotiating process, however the company was willing to continue negotiations.

“We believe this is not the way to solve the issues raised,” the company said, adding that the only way out was through “constructive and collective talks.”

Trade unions Sek, Peo and Deok decided to call a strike due to the deadlock declared by the labour ministry.

They said negotiations failed to find common ground.

Expressing regret for the inconvenience, the trade unions said they were not to blame.

The aim, they said, was not to cause any inconvenience to the public, however they had no choice “due to the intransigence of the employer’s side.”

The trade unions said they were open to talks and hoped an agreement would be reached soon, safeguarding labour rights.