Strike ongoing at Limassol insurance company

Phone operators at the Anytime insurance company have been striking since March 9 over the firm’s alleged decision to fire people active in a trade union.

A statement by Peo union on Friday said the majority of striking staffers had taken up the issue after a trade union rep “was illegally fired as an act of revenge” while negotiations were underway to create collective agreements.

This is the third person to be fired in the past year, and the second which is a union member, Peo said. As a result, the majority of phone operators chose to strike against the company’s actions.

According to the union, a complaint has been filed to the labour relations department of the labour ministry. The ministry has allegedly sent Anytime insurance – offered by Interamerican – a letter calling on it to retract its move to fire employees.

“The insurance company’s management has repeatedly refused to go to the labour ministry for negotiations. When it eventually did, it blatantly refused to discuss withdrawing the termination,” Peo highlighted.

Instead, starting on March 20, the company has allegedly taken a number of steps to break up the strike, including sending individual letters to striking employees demanding they return to work.

Anytime insurance has also refused to attend a meeting with the labour relations department, according to Peo.

Phone operators will continue to strike unheeded. The insurance company was not immediately available for comment.