Two former employees of Cyprus Airport Services (CAS), who alongside other former workers, have been on hunger strike since December 20, have threatened suicide. Two of the employees who went on a hunger strike, staking out the entrance of Ercan Airport, climbed up an advertising board saying that they would commit suicide.
They both say that they have nothing to lose. Other former CAS employees, police and firefighters are trying to convince the two men to come down.
Since being made redundant in July, after Atlas Global Airlines ceased flying to Ercan, the former employees have been demanding six months back pay. They also say that they are public employees as the government holds a 10% stake in CAS. The workers have demanded to be re-employed elsewhere and recompensed for their loss of income. CAS’s only contract to provided airport services lay with Atlas Global.
Deputy Prime Minister Kudret Ozersay said that the company was private and although the government had given some monies to CAS to help keep them afloat, they could do no more.
This month, a court in Nicosia declared debt-laden CAS to be bankrupt.
Havadis
