Truck drivers at the Port of Larnaca are holding a work stoppage in protest against lengthy delays caused by new procedures implemented after the Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA) assumed port management duties following the termination of a contract with Kition.
Elenodoros Elenodorou, a driver representative speaking to philenews, emphasised the challenges they face, including lengthy waiting times at the port that risk substantial fines for exceeding work hour limitations.
“The issues began when the Port Authority took over,” Elenodorou said. “They lacked the necessary equipment and relied on external contractors, leading to delays. We’re forced to wait for hours to complete our work. Today, three-grain ships are docked, but only one functional weighbridge is available because the Port Authority isn’t utilising the two remaining from Kition.”
“There are 40 of us waiting for a single weighbridge,” he continued. “People are frustrated as we’re losing valuable working hours. This system forces us to work until midnight and last week, we even worked 28 consecutive hours. Our tachographs are programmed for an 8-hour workday, and exceeding those limits puts us at risk of hefty fines and potential license suspensions.”
Elenodorou concluded by stating that the drivers will maintain the work stoppage until a solution is reached.
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