Porters returned to their work normally this morning at Limassol Port, after deciding to lift strike action, as the employers' side seemed ready to proceed to layoffs.
Porters started working in the morning, harbormaster George Ppouros told CNA, adding that work at the port of Limassol is done as usual.
The Deputy Secretary of transport industry at SEK Titos Timotheou, said that the employers' side had prepared dismissal letters which however, were not received by workers since after their extraordinary general meeting yesterday evening they decided to lift strike action.
The 62 employees were asking to immediately receive the compensation amounting to € 1,5 mn which was agreed in the context of commercialization of the port’s services.
The removal of the measures came after dismissal letters were sent by the managing company to the 62 porters.
Under pressure from the government which warned about the termination of the agreement with the company, Galimento which took over provisional management of the harbor, sent a letter of dismissal of the strikers yesterday afternoon.
At the same time the government through the Ministry of Transport send a message to the 62 porters that since they circumvented the agreement and went on strike the government has no choice but to cancel the agreement and not grant the bonus of €1, 5 mn, previously agreed.
Employees wanted the bonus and the amount of their redundancy to be granted to them immediately instead of after their dismissal. Redundancy is usually paid several months after the termination of employment.
In view of the new situation created with the dismissal letters, porters decided the removal of strike action at an extraordinary general meeting.
"The government had to defend the interests of the state and to protect the best interests of the economy and the credibility of the country and this is what we have done" port authority president and general manager of the Ministry of Transport Alecos Michaelides told StockWatch.
"We warned" he added, "that the agreement between the two parties would be canceled. At the same time we sent a letter to Galimento company which handles loads, claiming to take all necessary measures to restore operations at Limassol port, otherwise, the agreement with the company would also be cancelled" Mr. Michaelides stressed.
He noted that the intention not to allocate the bonus has been withdrawn since the measures have been lifted.
The attitude of the 62 workers created cracks in tactics used by the government to appease the reactions to the privatization of Limassol port.
The government agreed to allocate € 27 mn to employers of porters and another €1,5 mn to employees.
"A group of people cannot blackmail in this way, paralyzing the country's economy", transport minister Marios Demetriades told StockWatch, bringing back the government’s and employers' organizations request for regulation of strikes in essential services.
The Limassol port was caught in a strike grip since last week, causing damage mainly to import and export companies.
Porters started working in the morning, harbormaster George Ppouros told CNA, adding that work at the port of Limassol is done as usual.
The Deputy Secretary of transport industry at SEK Titos Timotheou, said that the employers' side had prepared dismissal letters which however, were not received by workers since after their extraordinary general meeting yesterday evening they decided to lift strike action.
The 62 employees were asking to immediately receive the compensation amounting to € 1,5 mn which was agreed in the context of commercialization of the port’s services.
The removal of the measures came after dismissal letters were sent by the managing company to the 62 porters.
Under pressure from the government which warned about the termination of the agreement with the company, Galimento which took over provisional management of the harbor, sent a letter of dismissal of the strikers yesterday afternoon.
At the same time the government through the Ministry of Transport send a message to the 62 porters that since they circumvented the agreement and went on strike the government has no choice but to cancel the agreement and not grant the bonus of €1, 5 mn, previously agreed.
Employees wanted the bonus and the amount of their redundancy to be granted to them immediately instead of after their dismissal. Redundancy is usually paid several months after the termination of employment.
In view of the new situation created with the dismissal letters, porters decided the removal of strike action at an extraordinary general meeting.
"The government had to defend the interests of the state and to protect the best interests of the economy and the credibility of the country and this is what we have done" port authority president and general manager of the Ministry of Transport Alecos Michaelides told StockWatch.
"We warned" he added, "that the agreement between the two parties would be canceled. At the same time we sent a letter to Galimento company which handles loads, claiming to take all necessary measures to restore operations at Limassol port, otherwise, the agreement with the company would also be cancelled" Mr. Michaelides stressed.
He noted that the intention not to allocate the bonus has been withdrawn since the measures have been lifted.
The attitude of the 62 workers created cracks in tactics used by the government to appease the reactions to the privatization of Limassol port.
The government agreed to allocate € 27 mn to employers of porters and another €1,5 mn to employees.
"A group of people cannot blackmail in this way, paralyzing the country's economy", transport minister Marios Demetriades told StockWatch, bringing back the government’s and employers' organizations request for regulation of strikes in essential services.
The Limassol port was caught in a strike grip since last week, causing damage mainly to import and export companies.
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