SIGMA TV channel employees went on strike yesterday in protest at proposed pay-cuts and redundancies as staff at the brand new Hard Rock Cafι in Nicosia have also been striking since Tuesday because they have not been paid for the last two months.Employees from the TV channel gathered outside Sigma headquarters in the capital at 8am yesterday to protest against the decision by the channels top brass to go ahead unilaterally with pay-cuts and lay-offs. Employees working for magazine publications for the DIAS media group, of which Sigma is a part, also went a two-hour strike to mark their support, Cyprus News Agency said... 6 comments

FIVE departures and seven arrivals at Larnaca and Paphos airports were delayed yesterday to and from Greek airports due to a four-hour strike by Greek air traffic controllers from 12 noon until 4pm.According to Cyprus airport spokesman Adamos Aspris, the affected flights were to and from Athens, Thessaloniki and Patra... 1 comment

LIMASSOL port workers yesterday staged a 24-hour warning strike over a proposal to cut their benefits, including half their 14th salary and overtime pay.The around 60 porters reject a mediating proposal tabled by the labour ministry “because it affected basic benefits like their provident fund, bonuses” and other advantages.The strike caused substantial delays in the service to the public.The proposal provided for a freeze in wages, a cut in the employer’s contribution to the provident fund from 7.0 per cent to 1.0 per cent, cutting 14th salaries (Easter bonus) by half and reducing overtime pay from triple to double the hourly rate.Their employers are the 68 licensed porters, who make up the Limassol Licensed Porters Association... 21 comments

BANK workers union ETYK yesterday urged its members to participate in a two-hour warning strike at 12.30 today to demand protection of provident funds and their jobs.The banks will open their doors to the public at 8.30am and close at 11.45am.In a written statement, the union said it was concerned because despite the government’s promises “issues that regard our future and the future of our children are still pending.”The risk to the provident funds belonging to the workers of Laiki and Bank of Cyprus and other people was still present, despite their efforts, ETYK said.“We also see that no agreement has been made nor any actions are underway, like a decision on voluntary exit, which would prevent the need for personnel dismissals,” ETYK said... 17 comments