.
Why did it take the employers federation OEV so long to realise that we should hire controllers from other EU states to resolve the air traffic chaos? Is it because: a) the trade unions threatened to strike in other sectors; b) the pro-labour Minister refused to discuss the matter; or, c) the controllers were right all along?
What no one dares to mention is that air traffic control, as are our borders on land, sea or in the air, are crucial to our national security and should be exempt from any work stoppage threats. Unfortunately, the ministers so far in charge of Transport have been weaklings and do not dare to challenge the all-powerful trade unions for fear of jeopardising their parties’ re-election hopes. And the matter gets worse when the Labour Minister seems to have no sense of what is good for the nation and its crippled economy, and what is not.
OEV has been too kind. The federation has sent a letter to the Labour Minister suggesting ways to regulate strikes in what are called “essential services”. Why bother? Is this not the same minister that refuses to allow shops to operate freely, any day, and until any time?
The employers federation has been barking up the wrong tree. What it should have done was to force the Transport Minister to declare a deadlock and then get the Minister of Defence to call in the National Guard’s air unit to man the control towers at Larnaca and Paphos airports and the Nicosia Flight Information Region.
At a time when the tourism sector has failed to attract a reasonable number of visitors in winter and low-cost airlines such as Ryanair are expected to increase their flights to the island by setting up a regional hub, the strikes by the air traffic controllers should be regarded as criminal and against all national interests.
If the Ministers of Transport and Labour do not have the courage to stand up to the trade unions, then who can? Does no one in this God forsaken land realise the damage these union bosses are causing to the economy, or are they just happy to get their paycheques at the end of the month and couldn’t care less?
