Reprieve for lambs in wake of abattoir overtime ban

LARGE numbers of lambs could be spared this holiday season as workers at a main slaughterhouse have refused to work overtime because they have not received their 13th salary.

Workers at the Kofinou slaughterhouse said they will not work overtime because the board cannot pay their Christmas bonus, which would mean that a large number of lambs will not be slaughtered, Larnaca Mayor and board chairman Andreas Moiseos said.

The action started yesterday.

“These days there is always a lot of overtime work in order to slaughter” all the animals for the holidays, Moiseos said.

The mayor said he tried to explain to the workers that efforts are being made to secure funds to pay their salaries “but this was not understood and they decided to go ahead with the measures”.

“The board has not refused to meet its obligations to the workers. But with the way they are acting there will not be a slaughterhouse in the end and there will not be anyone to give them the 13th salary,” Moiseos said.

Trade union PEO representative said the workers’ decision was taken on Monday in the absence of the unions.

“Today, despite the unions urging them to hold a fresh vote, they said they will go ahead with yesterday’s (Monday’s) decision to halt overtime work,” Adamos Andreou said.

Andreou suggested there would not be a serious meat supply problem in the market.

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