COOLER minds seemed to prevail yesterday in the aftermath of Monday’s violent incidents between striking truckers and police, as talks resumed to end the strike estimated to be costing the economy up to £10 million a day.
Violence broke out on Monday at the Moni and Vasilikos cement factories, when a group of strike-breaking drivers tried to break through and load their lorries with cement. Nine people were arrested.
There was another incident yesterday morning when one driver tried to enter into the Moni factory. His vehicle was duly immobilised by a group of strikers, but police intervened and the matter ended there.
Truckers are demanding that Category ‘B’ licence holders should not have access to quarries, ports and cement factories. The government says their only interest is to maintain a monopoly in the profession, and has refused to negotiate with the drivers as long as the strike is on.
But Monday’s clashes seemed to act as a catalyst for a compromise: yesterday a delegation of truckers met with Communications Minister Haris Thrasou to find a way of breaking the deadlock.
The official explanation given for the meeting was that its purpose was to “explore procedures for a possible dialogue.” It was obvious that neither side wanted to lose face.
The meeting lasted about half an hour, after which the truckers retired to confer with their legal advisors; it was set to resume later in the afternoon, but never materialised.
Police meanwhile, were on the defensive, after being accused of manhandling a CyBC cameraman at Monday’s Moni brawl. Police say the TV man struck an officer with his camera, and he was among the nine people arrested. He has since been charged and released.
Yesterday Andreas Kannaouros, head of the journalists’ union, said the police’s actions were tantamount to suppressing the free press.
Justice Minister Doros Theodorou said a full-scale investigation would be launched to establish what happened. An independent investigating commission would be appointed by his ministry and would be using all evidence available – including TV network footage.
Theodorou’s line was that police were forced to exercise “some violence” to establish law and order.
Asked what the investigation would home in on, he said: “Everything that went on… the alleged attacks against reporters, against the police, the truckers… everything.”
Immediately opposition DISY questioned the basis of the probe, arguing that it would only be truly independent if the investigator were appointed by the Attorney-general.
For his part, government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides defended the police’s actions, saying officers were there to protect the interests of the public.
“The truck drivers’ strike has reached irrational levels, to the point of becoming illegal. Their strike action is damaging the common good. Police therefore have the duty of ensuring all civilians’ rights are safeguarded.”
But he refused to be drawn in on who was to blame for the troubles, merely offering: “For the time being, the events are controversial.”
The truckers’ strike action, now in its eighth day, threatens to paralyse the economy, with tons of goods and much-needed raw materials tied up at Limassol port. Truckers watching guard there yesterday eased their hold, selectively allowing about 100 vehicles to load up with commodities.
Meanwhile the five to six strike-breaking vehicles that managed to break through the blockades at the two cement factories on Monday were yesterday still stranded inside, hoping the strike would be called off so they could get on with their business.
