Greek strike hits Larnaca flights

FIVE FLIGHTS in and out of Larnaca Airport were yesterday cancelled due to a 24-hour general strike called by Greece’s leading labour unions.

A four-hour work stoppage by Greek civil aviation authority staff entirely grounded flights between 12 and 4pm, with Greek national carrier Olympic Airlines saying that it would cancel around 60 domestic and international flights.

The Marketing Manager of Hermes Group, the consortium running the island’s airports said that three carriers had been affected: Olympic, Cyprus Airways and Aegean Airlines.

Jenni Fernando explained that, “passengers were rebooked onto later flights with the situation returning to normal today.”

The general strike was called by the General Confederation of Workers (GSEE) and the Greek Civil Servants’ Union (ADEDY) to demand the return of money invested by social insurance funds in overpriced bonds, an ongoing case that has greatly embarrassed the government.

“We want the money to be returned, and those responsible to be held accountable,” the unions said in a statement.

The strike shut down the Greek public sector with hospitals and banks on reduced staff and work stoppages disrupting bus, tram and metro services in Athens.

Major archaeological sites in the capital closed earlier because of strike-related staff shortages.

Greek journalists also went on strike in connection with a controversial bond investment made by their own health fund, and following a one-day mobilisation on the issue last Tuesday.

The government is purging the state-appointed heads of around a dozen funds implicated in the bond investment case, which the opposition has denounced as a major scandal.

The Greek labour minister resigned his post at the height of the affair two weeks ago.

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