THE bus strike continued in most districts yesterday and was set to continue for a third day today as the government and companies failed to bridge their differences despite intensive talks.
Services resumed in Larnaca yesterday and according to Communications Minister Efthimios Flourentzos Famagusta would follow suit today.
He also said he expected the Nicosia company to have services running today but last night there was no sign that the strike had been called off in the capital.
Differences remained with Limassol and Paphos companies, which were expected to continue with the strike despite successive meetings at the ministry.
Bus drivers went on an indefinite strike because they had not been paid January wages.
Their bosses say the government has not paid them the agreed subsidies and they had no cash to pay employees.
The government said it had transferred enough cash for the companies to pay staff and accused them of using strike action as leverage to get more money.
Flourentzos reiterated that companies should “not use this disagreement as a pretext when the ministry is tabling proposals regarding the companies’ cash flow and has already deposited money in their accounts.”
The minister said the state could not force the companies to pay the drivers, adding that the dialogue will continue in a bid to get the service up and running again as soon as possible.
The ministry had asked the companies to hand over statements of their revenues and expenses for 2011 to see exactly how funds the state has given so far have been spent and why cash flow basis has been affected.
Flourentzos said Nicosia has handed over its report and he expected Limassol to do so today.
He also expressed hope that Paphos would also submit its statement.
Following his meeting with the minister yesterday, the director of Limassol bus company EMEL said there has not been a deal yet, but appeared optimistic that the matter could be resolved.
“I think issue can be solved soon,” Giorgos Kyriacou told reporters.
He said a lot of progress had been achieved where there were huge differences but one or two issues still needed to be discussed.
“There is neither mismanagement, or waste or frivolity, nor ignorance of the job,” Kyriacou said. “The fight is for peoples’ careers and not the monthly wage.”
Kyriacou said that the matter had to be settled once and for all.
“We cannot have this roller coaster every month,” he said.
His Paphos counterpart left the meeting without commenting, apart from saying that no deal had been reached as he was walking away.
