By Jean Christou
LORDOS Holdings said yesterday it had gone ahead with its threat to replace striking staff at its two Larnaca hotels.
A spokesman for the company said they had not dismissed the striking workers, but that striking staff had, by their own choice, refused to return to work.
“Already this week we have given letters of appointment to 25 persons,” the spokesman said.
Around 160 staff at the luxury Golden Bay and Lordos Beach Hotels are entering their 48th day of strike action over the dismissal of 73 of their colleagues when sections of the two hotels were turned over to outside contractors.
Lordos Holdings claims the ongoing strike is illegal because the workers did not give adequate warning and it was not a majority decision. The company also says the decision was not taken by secret ballot, as is required by the labour laws.
Lordos Holdings wrote to staff on March 5 calling on them to return to work.
“We invited them back at the beginning of the month,” the spokesman said. “The strike is clearly illegal because of the methods used. They have not been dismissed, but have abandoned their jobs. It’s in the labour laws.”
The company wrote to the employees again late last week offering them a last chance to return to work.
The spokesman said the company had made it clear to staff that they were not being dismissed.
“We told them that if they didn’t return, we would proceed with replacing them, because the hotels are in operation and need staff,” the Lordos spokesman said. “So we have started replacing them.”
Sek hotel workers representative Nicos Epistethiou said the unions did not plan to react “dynamically” to the latest move by the company. But he said they had consulted their lawyers because “what Lordos has done is clearly illegal”.
Meanwhile, the strikers yesterday continued their picket outside the two hotels. The company spokesman said there had been no serious disturbances recently.
The bitter dispute has already seen pickets attempting to stop strike breakers and suppliers from entering the hotels, while allegations of damage to property have been rife over the past month.
The company has accused the strikers of assault, creating disturbances, public insults and disturbing the peace.
Lordos Holdings last month obtained court orders prohibiting unruly behaviour and banning strikers from preventing entry to the hotels.
Under the orders, the strikers are also prevented from verbally abusing or using rude gestures to anyone passing through the entrances.
On Friday, the company’s lawyers issued a letter of intent to sue the government for damages incurred through the alleged failure of the police to protect its properties.
Attorney-general Alecos Markides told the Cyprus Mail yesterday he had still not received the letter addressed to him and to Justice Minister Nicos Koshis.
