Cyprus air traffic workers strike

Air traffic controllers in Cyprus will walk out for four hours today in protest at a two-year pay freeze for government workers and other deficit-cutting measures, an airports spokesman said today.

Adamos Aspris said the stoppage between 1pm and 5pm local time will affect more than 5,000 passengers on 38 flights to and from the island’s two airports.

Air traffic controllers say they have been unfairly lumped in with other government workers and should be exempt from austerity measures aimed at curtailing spending on the bloated public sector.

They say their salaries come from levies airlines pay the government to use Cyprus-controlled airspace and do not burden the state budget.