Nicosia bus company employees marched to the transport and labour ministries on Wednesday, a day after they voted by 99 votes to 84 to continue a strike they started on Friday.
Their Larnaca counterparts called off their strike on Tuesday, held talks with government officials and the company during which an initial agreement was hammered out. This will be put to employees later on Wednesday.
The labour ministry has said it is ready to mediate in the dispute at the Nicosia company, but only once strike action has been suspended.
Employees had gone on strike on Friday after 36 colleagues were given dismissal letters. These were then revoked, with Larnaca employees agreeing to return to work and to enter into talks over other long-standing problems, but their Nicosia counterparts refusing to do so.
Athos Eleftheriou, head of the transport section of Peo trade union confederation, told state radio on Wednesday they were waiting for the final text of the agreement reached for Larnaca but added that similar agreements had been reached in the past but not implemented.
Nicosia personnel were waiting for the resolution of the problems they face.
On Tuesday, representatives of Peo and Sek trade union confederations had appealed to the ministers of labour and transport to press ahead with initiatives to resolve the industrial dispute, even though strike action was continuing.
They said the ministry was aware of the problems, and that despite promises given in 2020 after a strike, action to address them had not been taken.
Workers’ representatives said there are many important problems, including issues of safety, health, legislation, long hours, lack of adequate breaks and infrastructure.
On Monday Cyprus Public Transport (CPT) apologised to the public for the disturbance caused by the “unannounced strike” of bus drivers in Nicosia and Larnaca.
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