Deadlock threatens the races

A STRIKE by jockeys is threatening to call off all races at the Nicosia racecourse today.

The riders are protesting at the Horseracing Club’s refusal to up its contribution to the jockeys’ provident fund by £1 per jockey per month. As things stand the Club pays £2 per rider per month into the fund.

Panayiotis Kazamias, the Club’s general manager, has slammed the jockeys demands as “totally unreasonable”. He said the Club paid money into the provident fund despite the fact that jockeys were self-employed. He said the contributions cost the Club £12,500 a year.

Negotiations between the Club and jockeys failed to break the deadlock earlier this week and riders were yesterday determined to go ahead with a strike today.

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