CAIR crew call off strike

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Compensations averaged CYP 40,000

Cyprus Airways cabin crew called off their strike last night, after the Ministry of Labour found that both the airline’s management and the unions had violated the code of industrial relations.

The company’s board decided to recall Monday’s redundancy notices of 22 cabin crew that resulted in the impromptu strike decision by their union.

Most of the flights of the national carrier were grounded Tuesday when pilots and other staff joined cabin crew strike.

Passengers were delayed by several hours and tourists were flown out on alternative flights.

In all 22 chief stewards were handed redundancy notices for an average compensation of CYP 40,000 per person, following the smooth layoffs of another 123 ground staff two weeks ago.

The partly state-owned company, which announced losses of CYP 33.5 mln for 2004, nearly double the losses for 2003, had justified the latest layoffs saying it would save 200,000 pounds a year.

The crew were only working ten hours a day as they were retained under union pressure, despite four Airbus A310s being sold off in 2003.

The company said the sharp jump in losses were due to the liberalisation of air transport in 2004 and the abolition of duty free sales from May 1.

The management said it was taking further steps to keep the airline afloat and was looking to sell off its Athens-based subsidiary, Hellas Jet.