THE PUBLIC sector paralysed yesterday as government workers union PASYDY staged a planned 12-hour strike over a two-year wage freeze for civil servants, which they say was passed without prior dialogue.
The PASYDY strike was coupled with a 12-hour strike, from 9am to 9pm, by air traffic controllers in Cyprus’ two airports, which disrupted airline schedules.
Ministries and public services struggled to operate since only a handful of their personnel, belonging to PEO and SEK, checked-in for work, while semi-governmental organisations, such as CyTA and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) operated as normal.
“Almost no one came in today, and those who have can’t really do much,” said a finance ministry employee who had turned up for work.
Hospitals were severely hit by the strike as several departments did not operate.
At the Limassol general hospital, the departments of gynaecology, arthroscopy, dental and physiotherapy were shut down, as were the pharmacy and the lab.
Emergency cases in all public hospitals were treated by a skeleton staff, while all scheduled surgeries were cancelled.
“There was a low turn-out of visiting patients, perhaps because the public was aware that we would be functioning on a skeleton staff,” said a hospital doctor.
The PASYDY strike extended to both Larnaca and Paphos airports, where officials from the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and Customs did not turn up for work.
The air traffic controller’s union, PASEEK said it was also striking in opposition of the inclusion of air traffic controllers in the general package of austerity measures for public employers.
A total of 79 flights – 34 arrivals and 45 departures – and approximately 5,000 passengers were affected by the strikes.
Dennis Allen, a disgruntled British passenger, who was told by his airline to arrive at Paphos airport eleven hours before his new flight time fumed that airlines had not done enough to protect passengers from the hassle,
“I don’t know why the workers are striking, but I’m sure it’s for a good reason, but eleven hours is a long time to sit about,” he said.
According to an industry insider, the strike was expected to cost the airports several hundred thousand euros.
“In order to avoid the scenario of having stranded passengers in Cyprus and abroad, we were able to conduct six Cyprus Airways flights from and to Paphos and Larnaca that were scheduled between 7am and 9am,” said Hermes Airports spokesman, Adamos Aspris.
Yesterday’s PASYDY strike was the second in as many days and the third this week, after Tuesday’s three-hour strike with other public sector unions PEO and SEK, and Wednesday’s surprise afternoon strike.
The surprise strike was staged after rumours — which proved to be wrong — circulated that the authorities had included additional cuts in the proposed austerity measures bill.
Despite the disruption caused to parliament by Wednesday’s strike, lawmakers approved the wage freeze.
