The transport ministry called on the Paphos bus company (Osypa) on Wednesday to call off strike measures, noting that the ministry is prepared to take legal action to restore public transport in Paphos.
Bus drivers in Paphos went on an indefinite strike on Wednesday morning because they still have not received their December salaries.
According to the ministry’s announcement, Osypa has already received the ministry’s funding for December, as determined by the existing contract, and is therefore obliged to meet its obligations in paying employees.
The ministry also expressed its regret over the disruption and inconvenience to the public.
Later on Wednesday, the spokesman for the striking bus drivers Christos Evangelou told state broadcaster Cybc that “there have been no developments, neither from the company nor from any other competent body, so we will continue until wages are paid.”
Evangelou added that drivers will also require guarantees to be made that wages will be paid on time in the coming months, or else there is a risk of renewed strike action at the beginning of every month.
“This is what we think will happen,” Evangelou said. “They will find some money to pay for December, but in February we will have problems again.”
The situation is not the fault of the drivers, Evangelou added, who have a right to strike, especially since no one should be expected to work without getting paid.
Around 5,000 pupils and 3,500 other passengers were estimated to have been affected by the strike on Wednesday.
More are expected to be affected should the strike continue.
The strike prompted the parent associations of the Paphos Technical School and the Emba Lyceum to ask pupils to abstain from classes for the first two periods on Thursday in protest.
The decision was endorsed by the district and the Pancyprian confederation of parent associations.
In a statement, the confederation said pupils were once more the victims of transport strikes that had developed into a scourge.
“As parents, we are forced to find solutions for the transportation of our children to and from their schools so that they wouldn’t miss classes when we had entrusted their commute to the public transport system,” the statement said, suggesting no one really cared about their children.
“Everyone’s children must enjoy the right of safe and timely transportation to and from schools without being hostage to any dispute between the parties involved,” the confederation said.
Workers at Osypa have been complaining for months that their wages were being delayed due to non-payment of the government’s financial contribution to the company and went on strike in December for several days when November salaries had not been paid.
“The ministry should have known that the money given to the company during the last strikes would only cover November and the 13th salary, but would not be enough to cover December wages as well,” Evangelou said.
The ministry, on the other hand, claims that it is the company which owes money to the ministry rather than the other way around, according to the general director of the transport ministry Stavros Michael, who told Cybc that a letter has been sent to Osypa, requesting the settlement of this outstanding sum.
“We are not prepared to give any more money than the sum stated in the contract,” Michael said. “The state is owed money, it does not owe.”
