Larnaca, Cyprus. Workers at Goldair Handling Cyprus Ltd staged a two-hour strike at Larnaca airport on Friday, disrupting flights amid a dispute over redundancies, pay and collective agreements.
Two-hour stoppage disrupts flights
The work stoppage began shortly after 9am and continued until 11am, with at least two flights affected.
Strike notice and parties involved
The action followed a ten-day strike notice submitted to the labour ministry and airport operator Hermes Airports.
Dispute over scaled-back operations and staff transfers
The dispute centres on the company’s decision to scale back operations and cease servicing all airlines, a move that led to staff being transferred to other ground handling providers. Most workers accepted relocation to Swissport and Skyserve, while a group of 30 employees refused, citing reduced duties and lower pay.
Union says workers left without work and benefits claimed
Sek’s Larnaca branch chief, George Christou, said the changes left dozens without work and prompted the industrial action. He said 30 people were out of work and that the company had paid what it owed them, except for some benefits being claimed.
Claims collective agreements not respected
Christou said the dispute extended beyond those directly affected, stating that the company did not respect collective agreements when employees left and that this also affected the remaining 117 workers. Workers argue that the proposed transfers changed job roles in ways that undermined agreed terms, particularly on wages.
How will the dispute between Goldair Handling Cyprus Ltd and workers be resolved?