Cyprus Airways pilots resist pressure to call off strike

Travel agents telling people to rebook with BA

Cyprus Airways pilots resisted pressure on Monday to call off their planned four-hour strike on Thursday February 9, arguing that the government’s stance is “not good for the airline”.

Both the major trade unions SEK and PEO appealed to the Cyprus Airways pilots on Monday to suspend the strike measures.

According to a SEK announcement, the two unions “believe that any strike measures are not helpful in this critical period”.

After many weeks of negotations at the end of last year the government thought it had a deal with the unions that would allow it under EU rules to subsidise the airline.

On Tuesday Cyprus Airways is due to put forward the list of names of those who will take redundancy.

However, the highly paid pilots, who are rumoured to be looking to buy the airline on the cheap, appear to be scuppering the deal.

Meanwhile, British tourists who have booked flights on Cyprus Airways as far as 8 weeks away are being called up and told to rebook with British Airways, the Financial Mirror has learned.