Ground handling strike at Larnaca airport disrupts flights

Workers at Goldair Handling Cyprus Ltd staged a strike at Larnaca airport on Friday, halting operations for two hours and disrupting flights amid an escalating dispute over redundancies, pay and collective agreements.

The work stoppage began shortly after 9am and continued until 11am, with at least two flights affected.

The action followed a ten-day strike notice submitted to the labour ministry and airport operator Hermes Airports.

The dispute is over the company’s decision to scale back operations and cease servicing all airlines, a move that led to the transfer of staff to other ground handling providers.

While most workers accepted relocation to Swissport and Skyserve, a group of 30 employees refused, citing reduced duties and lower pay.

Sek’s Larnaca branch chief, George Christou said the changes left dozens without work and triggered the industrial action.

“There are 30 people who are now out of work and the company paid them everything it owed them, except for some benefits that we are claiming,” he said.

He added that the dispute extends beyond those directly affected.

“The reasons for the strike are because the company did not respect the collective agreements when the employees left and this does not only affect the 30, but also the remaining 117.”

Workers argue that the proposed transfers altered job roles in ways that undermined agreed terms, particularly in relation to wages.

According to unions, those who declined the move were faced with conditions they considered inferior, leading to the current standoff.

Christou stressed that industrial action was a last resort.

“Our purpose is not to inconvenience passengers, but it is the last measure we have left to claim what should be attributed to the workers,” he insisted.

The company has a relatively limited operational footprint at the airport, which helped contain the immediate disruption.

“The response of the company and the mediation service is awaited, to decide the next steps for the employees,” Christou said.