By Jean Christou
BOTH Cyprus Airways (CY) management and its pilots have had their wrists slapped by a team of arbitrators brought in to resolve a dispute over a vacancy for Captain at the airline’s charter arm Eurocypria.
The 22-page report, a copy of which was obtained by the Cyprus Mail, concludes that the job should go to a Eurocypria pilot.
However, it also criticises CY management for sitting on the fence during the row, and says that CY pilots union Pasipy acted ‘irrationally’ when it staged a strike to demand the vacancy for its members.
The three arbitrators, lawyers Takis Papamiltiades and Xanthos Clerides, and Ioannis Papadopoulos, a judge, were asked last July to decide whether the Captain vacancy in Eurocypria should go to the charter firm’s co-pilots or to CY pilots.
A collective agreement with Eurocypria pilots clearly states the job should be filled from their own ranks, but Pasipy insisted a later agreement they had with the company to discuss common seniority, superseded the Eurocypria collective agreement, at least until a dialogue was completed. CY says the dialogue collapsed in early June.
Later the same month, when CY advertised the Eurocypria vacancy, Pasipy’s 100 pilots staged two strikes in one week, which affected some 15,000 passengers.
CY, fearing more strikes by both sides, let the dispute run until it reached binding arbitration in July.
“The management side in certain cases encouraged or took part in dialogue or acted with one union on issues that affected the interests of another union, despite warnings from the other union,” the report said.
It said the arbitrators realised that management was often in a difficult position with strike threats. “But we believe a clear position is better than giving away concessions and not keeping promises,” the report said.
It also concludes that the fact that Pasipy’s demand was not met was no excuse for the strike action carried out by the union.
“Under the circumstances, Pasipy’s stance was irrational and hasty with the result that it affected the public good,” the arbitrators said.
They added that specific demands should have been discussed and resolved between all unions first and then with the company.
“We wonder what the stance of Pasipy would be if Eurocypria-Sek was negotiating for demands which would affect the collective agreement rights of the Cyprus Airways pilots.”
Pasipy chairman Chris Christodoulou said yesterday they had to comply with the results of the arbitration. But he warned that if another vacancy came up at Eurocypria, they would lay claim to it. “Then we will be back at square one,” he said.
Christodoulou said until the issue of common seniority was resolved such disputes would continue.
“We respect the decision of the arbitrators, but this was for only one position. We will never accept a continuation of this conclusion,” he said.
He tossed aside the arbitrators’ criticism of Pasipy. “They criticised just about everyone. It’s not a big deal,” he said.
Eurocypria pilots, who were not criticised in the report, were satisfied with the outcome of the arbitration, but expressed concern that CY management had not yet made any moves to fill the vacancy.
Eurocypria sources told the Cyprus Mail that on Monday they met management, who asked them for a delay in filling the vacancy and promised it would be filled by the busy summer season.
No decision has been taken yet on that aspect, but as far as Eurocypria pilots are concerned, the issue of who should get the job is now closed. “The results were what we expected,” said one pilot.
CY spokesman Tassos Angelis yesterday declined to comment.
