CTO on strike after funds blocked

EMPLOYEES of Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) plan to stage a 24-hour strike on August 29 after the Finance Ministry blocked funds for a shake-up of the semi-government body.

According to Michalis Papagiorgis the union representative for the CTO staff, a deal had been worked out with the board under the chairmanship of Photis Photiou, who is now the Agriculture Minister, to open up new positions and to upgrade some departments.
“The CTO agreed with the budget, but unfortunately when we went to the Finance Ministry we faced some problems and their position was to cut places and reject what was agreed,” said Papagiorgis.

He said the union has since met the Finance Ministry, and the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Ministry, which promised to review the situation.
“Unfortunately they were only promises and we felt there was no hope of achieving positive results,” said Papagiorgis.

He said the planned strike would last 24 hours, during which time no CTO officials would be available to tourists, but he said staff hoped that by August 29 the issue would be sorted out and they would not need to stop work.

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