The controversy surrounding the €1.2 billion investment agreement with Kition for the Larnaca port and marina project persists, with the focus now on the issue of 15 workers who were laid off and are demanding either reinstatement or compensation.
In a statement, the 15 workers who were terminated on July 3 claim they were treated unfairly and demand to be employed in the announced marina projects or receive “fair compensation” to help them find new jobs, noting that some are low-wage earners.
Supporting the decision of the Larnaca-Famagusta Development Company (ANETEL), the Minister of Transport, speaking to philenews, said that all efforts were made to reassign them during the three-month transitional period, but some had no work yet were still paid.
He mentioned that during a June 3 meeting, the Minister of Labour assured them of employment during the transition, and if someone had no work, they would be released.
“Over time, when we saw who was employed, we realised, for instance, that one individual wasn’t even going to work. There were people who weren’t employed at the port or the marina but were involved in certain activities of Kition, related to, for example, construction work. These individuals had no specific tasks and did nothing for three months. There were also some who had no work to do but were highly paid. One of them had a salary of €11,000. Additionally, the Ports Authority made it clear that it has its own director and cannot appoint Kition’s director. Consequently, the contract of this individual was terminated.”
According to Minister Vafeades, some were offered alternative positions but declined, leading to the hiring of others. “We exhausted all possibilities,” he stated saying that three workers were transferred to the marina due to legal impediments of them to work in the port.
“Another example is the financial controller of Kition, who agreed, in order not to be dismissed, to take on other duties as a financial officer at the port. We made every effort to employ everyone, but there was staff who had no work to do. Personally, it doesn’t sit well with me, and I consider it a grave mistake to ask taxpayers to pay someone who is sitting idly, especially when they had three months of doing nothing while being paid. This situation cannot be allowed to continue,” he emphasised. He also mentioned an effort to re-employ one worker at the request of the Larnaca Municipality.
Regarding the 15 workers’ demand for compensation beyond the legal provisions, Vafeades said, “I consider this wrong in terms of good administration and for taxpayers.”
In their statement, the workers claim they were assured of temporary employment with ANETEL for a temporary period, pending political decisions on the development project’s future. They allege they were pressured to sign acceptance documents without proper consultation. They claim that they were suddenly terminated on July 31.
They believe they should have been employed in the announced projects and have sought support from the Larnaca Mayor, MPs, and DISY President, Annita Demetriou, all of whom “showed understanding”.
Stefanos Stefanou: Scandalous agreement
The AKEL General Secretary, Stefanos Stefanou, visited the Larnaca port and met with Port Authority officials. He reiterated his party’s position that the ports should be managed by the Port Authority, which “has the experience and capability for such development, especially as Cyprus is an isolated and occupied island in the Eastern Mediterranean.” He said, “It is very important for the state, through the Port Authority, to plan, develop, and manage the ports.”
Stefanou was informed about the Port Authority’s proposal to develop the port and marina with its own resources. “Once the Port Authority completes its planning, we will meet to discuss their thoughts and how this important development can proceed for the best utilisation of the Larnaca port, the city, and the broader economy.”
Regarding the penalty clause in the Larnaca port agreement, Stefanou called it a scandal that should be investigated. “It is unacceptable and detrimental to the port. We’ve heard the government tried to terminate this provision, but it seems the Cypriot state lost the court case.”
