Striking staff threaten to close Cyprus airport stores

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Cyprus Airways Duty Free staff are to close stores tomorrow if no assurances are made to their job security once airports are privatised

Cyprus Airways Duty Free Shops staff have threatened to close stores at Larnaca and Paphos airports from Saturday (May 14) if they do not receive assurances that their jobs will be safe once the two airports are privatised. According to the Cyprus Mail the workers have been picketing at the two airports since Thursday after their deadline for action passed.

The Cypriot government is in the process of finalising privatisation talks with the Hermes consortium, which includes Aer Rianta International (ARI), and Cyprus Airways Duty Free is not confident that it will retain its concession once the deal is made. No contract has yet been signed with the consortium and the worried employees have asked the transport and finance ministries to find a solution, although their response has been inadequate, a representative of the workers' committee told the local press.

The Cyprus Mail said that this is the third strike this year by the duty-free staff, and that all other airport staff have been included in negotiations.

ARI head office could not be contacted for comment on Friday (May 13).