CAIR unions given until Friday

Cyprus Airways (CAIR) unions were given an extension until Friday to give their final answers to the controversial restructuring plan to save the airline.

Two unions, the pilots’ union PASIPY and the engineers’ union ASSYSEKA, said it was impossible for them to gather all of their members together in such a short time to vote on whether to accept the plan, leading Communications Minister Haris Thrasou to extend the deadline.

“It seems there are problems with the deadline,” said Thrasou adding that he hopes the unions will use the holiday breaks to given their opinion on the plan.

“After we get all the responses, then we shall inform the Commission.”

So far, the unions have kept quiet on their views, but cabin crew union SYPKA appears to be the most negative so far on the content of the new version of the plan. SYPKA believes that improvements sought by other unions have been granted at their expense. More than 22 senior stewards are to go under the plan.

The delay by the pilots in responding to the plan also led reporters to press Thrasou on whether the government had alternative plans in the event of a pilot rejection, but Thrasou said he believed that all the unions were well aware of the dire situation and would eventually agree to the cost-cutting and restructuring plan.

The plan includes a possible 500 redundancies, salary reductions and other cost cutting measures. The government insists that the most recent proposals are made on a “take-it-or-leave” it basis and says after improving the terms of the redundancy fund by 3% for all departing and remaining staff, its options are exhausted.