Employees of Larnaca’s port and marina received termination letters from Kition Ocean Holdings Ltd on Wednesday evening, following the project’s collapse.
As a result, the meeting between the workers’ representatives and the Ministers of Labour and Transport, initially scheduled for Thursday morning, was postponed until Thursday afternoon at 4 pm.
“Last night, the Kition company issued termination letters to its employees,” Charalambos Avgousti, General Secretary of OMEPEGE-SEK, told reporters, noting that the workers were present at the port as usual, despite their dismissal.
“The meeting with the two Ministers was brought forward to this afternoon, following the Cabinet meeting,” he added, stating that they awaited information on how the workers would be employed.
He mentioned that assurances had already been provided by the Ministers of Labour and Transport and referred to statements made by the President of the Republic on the same matter.
“I believe that we all share the will to ensure these workers are not victimised, so a solution will be found,” he emphasised.
Avgousti explained that a preliminary discussion was held on Monday with the Minister of Labour, during which some ideas to resolve the issue were discussed. “I believe that something from what we discussed on Monday will be implemented,” he said, expressing his optimism.
He confirmed that the port was operating under the guidance of the Port Authority, but clarified that the workers could not be employed by the Authority.
He also confirmed that the port was functioning normally, even though the cranes and equipment owned by Kition were not in use. “The ships are being loaded and unloaded using other machinery,” he said, relaying the workers’ impression that the process might be slightly slower.
“I hope that we will have clearer answers by this evening,” Avgousti stated, emphasising, “It is imperative that we find a solution, as these workers have been performing the port’s operations for the last two years, and their continued presence is essential for a smooth transition and the port’s efficient operation.”
On her part, the General Secretary of SEGDAMELIN PEO, Nadia Kyritsi, said that a letter was received from Kition on Tuesday evening, in which the company stated that it no longer considered itself an employer.
“Our position is that whoever takes over the operations previously held by Kition should employ the current workers. They are trained professionals with established terms of employment, and both employers and employees are aware of their rights and obligations under the Collective Labour Agreement,” she asserted.
Kyritsi emphasised that the new operator should employ the existing workers under the same terms and conditions, including their collective labour agreement, which is set to expire on June 1 2025, at which point it will be renewed.
When asked if the Port Authority, now overseeing the port’s activities, is considered the employer, she clarified that this was not yet clear and that Kition remained responsible for paying the workers’ dues for May.
She listed the various roles within the port’s operational structure, including mooring crews, porters, crane operators, technical electricians, logistics staff, and clerical workers.
Kyritsi recalled that during Monday’s meeting, the Minister of Labour had expressed the Government’s positive stance and its intention to avoid victimising any workers.
“Today, all these issues should be clarified, and an agreement should be reached on the framework under which the workers will be employed,” she stressed, underlining that it was non-negotiable that these workers had the right to continue their employment.
When asked to confirm that the port was operating normally under the Port Authority, she replied, “Yes, it is operating normally, with the consent of the workers.”
Furthermore, in statements made on Tuesday evening, the President of the Republic reassured, “There should be no concern, especially for the workers,” regarding the port issue, which was also discussed during Wednesday morning’s Cabinet meeting.
On Monday, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Alexis Vafeades, announced the termination of the €1.2 billion contract with Kition Ocean Holdings, stating that this decision was made following consultations with the Law Office.
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