Farmers call off their strike – for the moment

TWO HUNDRED and fifty farmers ended their two-day strike at the Rizoelia roundabout outside Larnaca at 11am yesterday, police said.

The move came in response to President Glafcos Clerides’ announcement that a ministerial meeting would be called to discuss the farmers’ grievances.

The Larnaca farmers had been blockading the key roundabout with tractors and trucks since Thursday in protest at what they saw as the government’s negligence in meeting their demands.

According to the Cyprus Farmers’ Association General Secretary, Michalis Lytras, their demands are threefold: to stop paying social insurance for seasonal foreign workers; that the state subsidise diesel prices; and that farmers’ debts be settled.

Yesterday morning, representatives from farming organisations met at Rizoelia to discuss what course of action to take. The previous evening there had been threats of a nationwide farmers’ strike, including a march on the Presidential Palace in Nicosia.

But, as a measure of good will, after Clerides’ announcement, the farmers decided to call off their strike for the time being.

“If, however, the government does not respond to our goodwill gesture,” Lytras said, “we will call on all farmers to join forces and go on a nationwide strike.”

 

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