The strike by employees of the Cyprus Public Transport in Larnaca bus company is now “indefinite”, with workers having resolved that the 48-hour strike that began on Wednesday had not yielded any results.

On Friday, trade union Segdamelin-Peo’s secretary-general Natia Kyritsi called on the labour ministry to tell Cyprus Public Transport to end “blatant violations” of a labour agreement struck between the company and its workers last year.

The main sticking point is the agreement’s stipulation that workers work no more than 38 hours per week – a stipulation workers say is not being respected.

“We believe that the labour ministry should draw the company’s attention to the blatant violations and call on it to comply with the agreements it has reached,” she said.

She also called on the transport ministry to “reflect on the company’s position”.

She said the unions “apologise to passengers and the public for the inconvenience they are experiencing”, and “at the same time, thank them for the support they have shown to the workers in the previous days and for their support in the coming period”.

Cyprus Public Transport, meanwhile, expressed “regret” at the strike’s continuation.

“Despite our intention for dialogue and continued compliance with all collective agreements and our legal obligations, the strike remains in effect. At this stage, there are no further actions we can take to resolve the situation,” it said after drivers said the strike would continue.

On Thursday, it had voiced fury at the strike, describing it as an “unfounded action” which “impacts thousands of people daily, causing mobility challenges, especially as Larnaca enters the peak summer season”.

But it said it was “immensely proud of the transformation its drivers have experienced over the past five years” since the company took over the running of buses in Larnaca.

It added that bus drivers have seen an average salary increase of “more than 35 per cent” since Cyprus Public Transport took over buses in Larnaca in 2020, and that their annual gross salaries can reach up to €30,000.

This, it said, “places them among the top 40 per cent of workers in Cyprus”.