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Air traffic controllers on the Mediterranean resort island of Cyprus were staging a strike on Friday afternoon to protest against government austerity measures, said airports operator Hermes. A total of 32 flights at the two international airports of Larnaca and Paphos are being delayed, affecting 3,500 people, spokesman Adamos Aspris said.
"Unfortunately it was not possible to avert today's strike, which means ... Cyprus will be cut off from the rest of the world, as no flights will be able to take place," Aspris said. He said most flights were rescheduled for after the end of the strike, which is due to run from noon to 4:00 pm (1000-1400 GMT) in Larnaca and for an additional three hours in Paphos. Controllers have also declared for strikes during the same hours for March 7, 12 and 15. And Nicosia flight control will operate at 50 percent fewer staff for three hours on March 3 and 8.
The controllers' union said they were escalating action after talks with the government had broken down, with their proposals having been "dismissed without being examined" and there being "no willingness for a dialogue." The controllers are seeking exemption from a two-year public sector pay freeze, and also have grievances over manning levels, overtime and paying pension contributions.
They argue that their salaries come from levies airlines pay for the use of Cyprus' air space, not from tax revenues, so they should not be subject to tough government spending cuts imposed to rein in a budget deficit. They already walked out in December and January but called a truce in favour of negotiating. Employers, hotels and business groups condemned previous industrial action as "unacceptable," saying it was "catastrophic" for the key tourism industry.
They view strike action by a highly paid group of public workers as a provocation at a time when Cyprus is suffering from economic stagnation and record unemployment of 9.6 percent. Employers federation Oeb accused the controllers of "blackmailing" the economy and called on the government to train or hire other controllers to break the strike in the essential service.
Eurozone member Cyprus is implementing a tough austerity package to bring its bloated deficit below the European Union ceiling of three percent of gross domestic product for this year. The package, approved by parliament in December, public sector cutbacks, tax rises and increased employee contributions.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012

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