AIR TRAFFIC controllers (ATCs) yesterday called off their scheduled strikes for next week following the urgent passing into law of a bill restricting their right to strike.The bill, which sets a minimum level of work coverage for an essential service, was met with tacit yet cautious approval by the country’s bigger unions yesterday, who stressed the bill only applied to air traffic control and not other services. The ATCs came under friendly fire from the union movement for bringing matters to a head. Adamos Aspris, spokesman for airport operator Hermes, said both Larnaca and Paphos airports received notification yesterday that the ATCs planned strikes for Monday and Thursday were cancelled. ... 11 comments

THE HOUSE yesterday passed a law with immediate effect restricting the right of air traffic controllers to strike, in a move designed to put a stop to a string of work stoppages by controllers that have wrought havoc on air travel in recent weeks.The government bill, fast-tracked by the executive and the legislature working in rare unison, makes it a criminal offence for any ATC to refuse to work when required, and provides for penalties of up two years in prison and/or a fine of €2,550. The penalties are provided for under an existing law.  ... Read on

THE AIR traffic controllers (ATC) went ahead with another four-hour strike yesterday, causing the disruption of 36 flights, despite rumours the government is ready to table a bill today clipping the wings of striking controllers. Yesterday’s strike affected around 4,500 people and 36 flights to and from both airports of Cyprus. It was the second this month, while another two have been scheduled for next Monday and Thursday. According to Adamos Aspris, spokesman for airports’ operator Hermes, almost all cancelled flights were due to be rescheduled by the end of the day. ... 10 comments

AIR TRAFFIC controllers (ATCs) said yesterday that the Communications Minister Efthymios Flourentzos was trying to “demonise” their strike.The ATCs are striking over austerity measures introduced last December including a two-year pay free and pension contributions, which they want to be excluded from.They went on strike last Friday and will do so again tomorrow.The ATCs took issue with the way Flourentzos answered a question by a journalist, which they construed as a threat. Flourentzos was asked if he could get replacements from abroad.“From what I know, and I’m not talking about Cyprus, there are such services abroad,” Flourentzos said. ... 1 comment

ANOTHER TWELVE flights and 1,500 passengers were affected last night and this morning after the Paphos control tower was left unstaffed for 13 hours through the night. The latest travel upset comes after air traffic controllers (ATCs) went on a four-strike on Friday, disrupting 20 flights to and from the island’s two airports, while hurting the island financially and politically. The ATCs plan another three four-hour strikes on March 7, 12 and 15 as part of scheduled industrial action over pay cuts.   Hermes’ Airports spokesman Adamos Aspris said the absence of ATCs at the Paphos control tower from 7pm yesterday until 8am today “unfortunately” meant the airport had to close during those hours. ... 23 comments

 GOVERNMENT and parliament were engaged in talks yesterday with a view to regulating strikes in essential services, as fresh industrial action by air traffic controllers (ATCs) over a pay dispute, inconvenienced thousands of passengers and hurt the island financially and politically.Communications Minister Efthimios Flourentzos said consultations were taking place between the government and political parties, expressing hope that the problem would be resolved.Twenty flights were disrupted yesterday, as striking ATCs shut down the Republic’s two airports for hours, on the first day of scheduled industrial action.“Certainly the damage is huge,” the minister told reporters... 17 comments

 Air traffic controllers (ATCs) said today they will extend their strike at Paphos airport, disrupting a further 15 flights, because of an ongoing pay dispute with the government.According to their announcement, today’s strike, which was scheduled to last from noon until 4 pm, will continue until 7pm tonight. It is then set to resume at 7pm tomorrow night and last until 8am on Sunday.Hermes Airports spokesman Adamos Aspris said eight departures from and seven arrivals at Paphos would be affected.The ATCs, who are civil servants want to be excluded from a raft of austerity measures that include pension contributions and a two-year pay freeze, passed in December. ... 5 comments

AIR TRAFFIC to and from the island will temporarily grind to a halt today as air traffic controllers (ATCs) again strike over a pay dispute with the government.The controllers will be striking at Larnaca and Paphos airports from noon to 4pm, while more work stoppages are planned for the 7th, 12th and 15th of this month. The action will not include VIP flights, state and military flights or emergencies... 16 comments

THE FIRST of the four-hour work stoppages announced by the air traffic controllers (ATC) takes place tomorrow. Another three will follow by the middle of March as part of their union’s blackmail tactics. More stoppages could be announced for later this month as tourists start to arrive for the Catholic Easter holiday, if the controllers fail to impose their pay demands on the government.Communications minister Efthymios Flourentzos on Tuesday urged the controllers to consider the consequences would have on the economy and appealed to them “to return to the dialogue so that all this damage is avoided”. Why do we expect the controllers to behave more responsibly when they are faced with a minister who does nothing but beg them to return to the negotiating table?... 9 comments

THE government yesterday issued an appeal to air traffic controllers (ATCs) to rethink their decision to strike over a pay dispute - considering the damage to the ailing economy - as businesses demanded their replacement and privatisation of the service.Communications Minister Efthymios Flourentzos urged ATCs “to weigh the facts and take into serious consideration the consequences their strike would have on the country’s economy”.The controllers announced last week they would be shutting down Larnaca and Paphos airports for four hours each day from 12pm on March 2, 7, 12 and 15.The controllers want to be excluded from a raft of austerity measures, which include pension contributions and a two-year pay freeze, passed in December... 12 comments