Limassol port workers’ rights secured

TRANSPORT Minister Marios Demetriades on Thursday assured Limassol port workers that their jobs are secure despite the coming change of regime at the harbour.

The port’s commercial operations are to be privatised, under a deal between the government and international creditors.

Cyprus must privatise several state enterprises, including Limassol port, the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority and the Electricity Authority, raising an estimated €1bn by 2016 in order to pay down a €10bn international bailout.

On the timetable for handing over the port’s commercial activities to a private operator, the minister said they were hoping to find investors by the end of this year, and then conclude an agreement within the first quarter of 2016.

“This process must continue. Significant economic benefits will arise for the country,” Demetriades said.

He was speaking after briefing Demetris Syllouris, leader of the European Party (EVROKO), on how the port privatisation venture was progressing.

For his part, Syllouris said his party supports all “reasonable demands” put forward by the workers, and expects the ministry to be responsive to those demands.

“This process must be concluded. It will be greatly beneficial for the economy therefore party support is essential. This is why we are trying to keep the parties in the loop so they can base their decisions on valid information,” said Demetriades.

Asked when the process will be completed, Demetriades said that a deal with a strategic investor or investors is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2016.

Syllouris stated that his party will continue meeting with ministry officials and workers to ensure that any agreement with a strategic investor is beneficial for the state without victimising the workers.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.