By Jean Christou
EUROCYPRIA pilots said yesterday they would not tolerate colleagues from Cyprus Airways (CY) muscling in on their promotions.
Constantinos Pitsillides, union representative for pilots at Eurocypria, said CY management was stalling on filling captain vacancies at the sister charter firm, fearing an adverse reaction among their own pilots.
CY pilots union Pasipy has already laid claim to the Eurocypria positions, and meets today to discuss possible strike action relating to their demand and to complaints about an “overloaded” summer schedule.
“If the vacancy is not filled, Eurocypria will not be in a position to fulfil its obligations towards tour operators,” Pitsillides said.
He said any promotions to captain within the charter firm must under their collective agreement be filled by Eurocypria pilots. The appointments had been due by March 31.
Union representatives discussed the issue with the Labour Ministry and group management yesterday.
“Cyprus Airways does not want to fill the vacancies because of the reaction of their own pilots,” Pitsillides said.
Pasipy said on Wednesday that it had an agreement with the company to study “common seniority” in foreign airlines by going abroad. They want CY to wait until the report on the visits is completed in 20 to 25 days’ time before filling the vacancies in Eurocypria.
However, Pitsillides said the agreement for the report was made only between CY pilots and the company. Eurocypria pilots were not involved, and in any case, he said, the report was already late on both its original March 31 deadline and an extension that ends today.
He said the vacancies need to be filled immediately for the sake of the charter firm’s future, and by Eurocypria pilots in line with the collective agreement.
“The company has to act now. They have no other option or the company will suffer as a result,” Pitsillides said.
“But if they fill the vacancies with Cyprus Airways pilots, they will be violating our collective agreement.”
Pitsillides said Eurocypria pilots were reluctant to threaten strike action. “We would try to look for other ways,” he said. The Labour Ministry is expected to give its views some time next week, he said.
Eurocypria is one of the few viable sectors of the Cyprus Airways Group, posting a pre-tax profit in 1998 of £2.2 million according to the Group’s financial results released yesterday.
Speaking at a news conference to announce the results, CY chairman Takis Kyriakdies said the pilots’ dispute posed a serious problem.
“On the one hand, there is a clear agreement between the company and the pilots of Eurocypria and on the other a special agreement with Pasipy,” he said.
Kyriakides said the company was trying to resolve the issue through dialogue and would be meeting Pasipy today “to see if we can find a solution to appease all sides.”
CY pilots said on Wednesday they may go on strike claiming they are overworked and pose a danger to public safety.
They want nine of their members promoted to Captain in CY and another nine new co pilots hired, as well as the captain vacancies in Eurocypria.
On the Larnaca-Manchester route – the longest flown by either CY or Eurocypria – CY pilots have a seven to eight hour duty shift, with five hours in the air. They stop over in the UK for at least 12 hours before returning to Cyprus on the same basis.
A Eurocypria pilot on the same route but operating a return flight spends 10 hours in the air and another three to four on duty.
“Cyprus Airways pilots spend less time flying than Eurocypria one but they do more time on duty,” a company source said.
CY pilots fly 62 hours a month, which the company says is below international standards, and even lower than the maximum hours specified in the collective agreement signed between the company and the pilots.
CY pilots are also among the best paid in the world.
