Workers at Larnaca Port Declare Indefinite Strike

Starting from Monday, the operational department workers at Larnaca Port have declared an indefinite strike. The protest action began due to a dispute over working hours and overtime.

Nadia Kiritsi, the General Secretary of the Segdamelin Peo union in Larnaca, stated that the contractor Kition Ocean Port is "violating" agreements signed with the workers. Instead of using its own staff for overtime work, the company hires "external contractors".

The union leader referred to an agreement signed on February 9, which effectively gives port employees the right to refuse overtime work outside their regular working hours from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Kition Ocean Port can employ other workers only if its own employees have declined in writing.

Nadia Kiritsi added that a group of workers will travel to Nicosia to meet with the Minister of Transport, Alexis Vafeades, on this matter.

As noted by the "Cyprus Mail", the strike has raised questions about the future of the "Amalthea" plan, as ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza from Cyprus typically depart from Larnaca.

Government spokesperson, Konstantinos Petrides, told the "Cyprus Mail" that the government expects the strike to "have no impact" on the implementation of the "Amalthea" plan.

It is also reported that the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (Oev) condemned the strike, stating that it is being conducted "unnecessarily".