Jean Christou
CYPRUS Airways (CY) is prepared to violate a binding labour agreement with its charter firm to satisfy its own troublesome pilots, Eurocypria sources have revealed.
They also charge that opposition politicians, and at least one government minister, are backing the CY board’s decision to contravene Eurocypria pilots’ collective agreement by giving the lion’s share of captain promotions to their CY colleagues.
Eurocypria pilots have been given until this weekend to respond to a proposal by CY chairman Haris Loizides to allot two out of every three captain promotions in Eurocypria to got to CY co-pilots.
CY’s collective agreement with the charter firm clearly states that captain vacancies can only be given to Eurocypria pilots with at least three years experience within the company.
A Eurocypria promotion last June led CY pilots’ union Pasipy to stage two crippling strikes because it wanted the vacancy for its members.
Months later, binding arbitration ruled that the position should go to a Eurocypria pilot.
The decision has created a legal precedent, which has been recognised as such by CY because the airline’s lawyer used the argument during its arbitration defence.
During the arbitration summations, CY said finding in favour of Eurocypria would bind them to a precedent as to how future vacancies in the charter firm would be filled.
According to the Eurocypria sources, CY management is now prepared to throw aside what it knows to be a valid precedent, and to ignore the existing collective agreement because it fears the reactions of Pasipy.
"As soon as the new chairman was appointed, Pasipy was already threatening the usual strikes and sickness so the new chairman started trying to convince us to agree to a new settlement," a Eurocypria sources told the Cyprus Mail. "However he failed to say if CY promotions would apply to Eurocypria pilots as well."
The sources said there were other reasons behind the proposed deal with Pasipy. They said CY wanted Pasipy to accept lower pay scales for new pilot recruits. "And of course they are scared to death of them," the source added.
"As a matter of principle we can’t come and say we will change our collective agreement to accommodate these guys," the source said. But it appears CY is presenting them with a fait accompli. "They told us the offer and said if we don’t accept it they would implement it anyway," the source said.
During last year’s furore, CY consistently insisted it would honour the collective agreement with Eurocypria pilots, but the company sat on the fence until the situation deteriorated to the point where arbitration was the only answer.
"It seems they respect the agreement as long as they don’t have to implement it," the source said, adding they had been told by CY that any strike by Eurocypria pilots would be easier to deal with than a strike by Pasipy.
"Why do we have to accept it for the sake of Pasipy? Why should Eurocypria guys not demand CY salaries? Why should they be paid less if the company says they are not separate companies?" the source said. "We don’t have any demands. We just want agreements implemented, but they (CY) chose to satisfy them (Pasipy) and create an injustice for us."
The Eurocypria pilots say the only hope for them at this stage is the intervention of the Minister of Communications and Works Averoff Neophytou, whom they are meeting today, and Labour Minister Andreas Moushiouttas.
The sources said Moushiouttas had already told them that what CY was proposing would signal the collapse of the industrial code because if one company refused to honour labour agreements and got away with it, others could do the same.
"CY is trying to avoid its pilots going on strike and is willing to sacrifice Eurocypria pilots to do so," the source said. "Basically it’s about who is strong and who is weak. But not only that: it’s also about who is capable of doing the most damage."
CY spokesman Tassos Angelis said negotiations with pilots on various issues were ongoing and that no final decisions had been taken on anything.
