Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 99-06-06

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

June 06, 1999

CONTENTS

[01] ‘Unionised’ soldiers return to CreteBy Charlie CharalambousA BATCH of National Guard officers has returned to Crete to help install Russian S-300 missiles, several weeks after they were sent back to Cyprus on "compassionate leave"."Some of those handling the S-300s have returned to Crete but we can give no more details for security reasons," a Defence Ministry source told The Sunday Mailyesterday.Reports say 88 officers and NCOs, S-300 missile experts trained by the Russians, returned to Crete on Friday evening aboard a Greek air force C-130 transport plane.The Cypriot officers are not only there to train their Greek counterparts but also to assist Russian technicians -- who have just arrived on Crete -- install the S-300 batteries.Work on installing the S-300s on Crete is expected to get under way tomorrow.The presence of Cypriot officers on Crete is part of the deal which saw the controversial ground-to-air weapons redirected to the Greek island after the Cyprus government caved in to international pressure last December.Last month, the same officers were sent packing by the Greek army after they complained about their pay and conditions. Some even went on local TV to criticise their accommodation -- reportedly good enough for Greek fighter-pilots -- and to claim they weren't being paid enough to suffer hardship so far from home.The government denied that Greece sent the army officers -- it was claimed some even refused to take orders from their Greek superiors -- packing in the dead of night on a C-130.On the reported rift between the National Guard and Greek army command over the issue, Defence Minister Yiannakis Chrysostomis held an impromptu news conference on May 14 to deny the allegations.The official line was that almost 100 officers were given "mass leave" to see their families in Cyprus, even though they were sent straight back to their units. But Chrysostomis himself conceded he had personally intervened when on a trip to Greece to promise the dissenting troops hefty allowances.Cabinet members balked at the defence ministry's extra allowance proposal, which was said to be in the region of a £400-a-month increase, and failed to approve additional cash for the officers.The Defence Ministry is now saying it will "find other ways" to resolve the officers’ pay demands.

[02] Eurocypria pilots rubbish safety claim by CY colleaguesBy Jean ChristouEUROCYPRIA pilots yesterday rubbished claims by their Cyprus Airways counterparts that the charter firm's current flight operations made it unsafe.Sources within Eurocypria's pilots union told The Sunday Mailthey had no idea what was behind the attack, but assumed it had something to do with the CY pilots’ long-time claim on the charter firm's promotions.The Cyprus Airways pilots’ union Pasipy had been reported as questioning Eurocypria's flight scheduling, suggesting it was putting passengers at risk. The claim was made in an official Pasipy announcement.In an earlier announcement on Friday, Pasipy strongly criticised the CY management for publicly naming sick pilots, a move it says forced them to return to work despite being ill. This also jeopardised passenger safety, Pasipy said.Several pilots have fallen mysteriously ill recently, a situation that has prompted speculation that they were putting pressure on the company over the Eurocypria promotions.Cyprus Airways has responded to the latest allegations by saying that checks by the British Civil Aviation Authority, under which all CY and Eurocypria pilots are licensed, found nothing amiss."We don't know what's behind all this -- it's got nothing to do with safety," said a Eurocypria source. "It seems that either they have a grudge against those who draw up the roster or they want it to appear that Eurocypria does not have sufficient resources to complete schedules so that they can put pressure on Cyprus Airways on the Eurocypria promotions."Pasipy and the national carrier are currently in a dispute over several vacancies for captain at Eurocypria. When Eurocypria was ‘Cypriotised’, ten British captains left the company and were replaced by Cyprus Airways pilots because the charter firm's co-pilots were not experienced enough at that time.Last year Eurocypria pilots struck a deal with CY management to fill all new captain vacancies from their ranks, but Pasipy wants the positions for its members and has been blocking the promotions process.The Eurocypria pilots have been demanding that the company fulfil the agreement it has with them on the vacancies, but management is still stalling. The Eurocypria pilots are now likely to move towards drastic measures in the coming weeks unless a decision is taken.The Eurocypria sources also said that it appears one of the Cyprus Airways captains is heading towards extended sick leave, which in effect creates another vacancy at the airline.The source said that under the ‘Cypriotisation’ deal this vacancy should go to one of the ten CY captains at Eurocypria, which in turn will create yet another post at Eurocypria which will also need to be filled.Cyprus Airways officials were not available for comment yesterday, and Pasipy president Chris Christodoulou, speaking from London, said he was unaware of the latest reports and could not comment.

[03] Shepherd charged with indecent assaultA 41-year-old Paphos shepherd has been charged with indecent sexual assault against a mother of four, said police yesterday.He was charged after he allegedly tried to attack the mother at her village home twice in one night. Yesterday he was released from custody after spending a night in the cells at Peyia police station, Paphos police said.The man’s arrest followed a formal complaint by the 29- year-old woman who alleged the shepherd sneaked into her home at 2am and sexually assaulted her while her husband was away.The woman’s screams woke her children, and the intruder then made off.The woman told police the man came back again later, entering the house through the kitchen window. But she had moved from her bedroom and locked herself in with the children, and the intruder left again.The suspect is expected to appear in court at a later date.

[04] Man killed in collision

[05] Indefinite strike at Larnaca portWORKERS at Larnaca port will begin an indefinite strike as of tomorrow, they announced yesterday.At a general assembly yesterday morning some 60 workers agreed to strike in protest over a redundancy package offered by the government which is downscaling the activities of the port.Larnaca port has lost most of its business over the past five years, and workers have rejected a proposal to use the port as a passenger terminal.Yesterday the workers rejected outright the government's offer and they are now seeking the support of Limassol port workers for their industrial action.The strike is expected to affect potato shipments, one of Larnaca port's remaining cargo activities.Sek union representative Pantelis Stavrou said that a meeting the union had with the government to resolve the problem failed to reach a deal on redundancy.He called on the government to think gain and come up with a new proposal.

[06] Call for policy on recyclingAGRICULTURE Minister Costas Themistocleous yesterday took the opportunity to mark World Environment Day by calling for a comprehensive policy on recycling."Each one us produces half a ton of waste every year which is dumped at landfill sites," Themistocleous said in his environment day message. "There’s an almost complete lack of any organised recycling programme which deals with paper, plastics and metals."He said other areas which needed improvement included the processing of liquid waste, water conservation and preventing the pollution of water sources.He urged greater public awareness over water conservation because of the continuing drought and the strain on diminishing resources.Themistocleous also made a veiled criticism of the government's dallying over the Akamas."In the area of nature protection our most important proposal is the conservation plan for the Akamas. Unfortunately, a lack of the necessary political decisions has delayed its application."Turning the Akamas into a national park has been on the political agenda for ten years without results.

[07] Lloyds bids for larger share of Cyprus shippingLLOYDS Register (LR) has decided to make a bid for a larger share in classifying Cypriot-flagged ships by opening an office in Limassol.The international society currently classifies 20 per cent of the Cyprus fleet, but now hopes to increase this share substantially by having an office on the island, according to LR chairman Patrick O’Ferrall.Cyprus currently ranks sixth in the list of maritime nations, with a fleet of more than 23 million gross tonnage."LR is keen to play a part in this success," O’Ferrall said. "We should have done it earlier," he admitted.LR has 280 offices in more than 100 countries worldwide.The Limassol office will be headed by Koulis Christofides, who has worked as a surveyor in the shipping industry for 26 years.In an address to guests at the launch of the new office, O’Ferrall outlined LR's role in the international maritime industry, pointing out the company's commitment to enhancing the safety of life and property both at sea, and on land; reinvesting surplus income into training, research and development, and technical education."We have a simple rule. If we think that a ship is safe we give it a certificate," O’Ferrall said.Cyprus recently asked that several inspectors from an unnamed classification society abroad be kept away from its ships because it alleged they were not doing their job properly.This was leading to the classification of substandard ships under the Cyprus flag and the subsequent detention of more Cypriot-flagged ships by port state controls. More detentions in turn lead to the tarnishing of the island's open flag reputation.O’Ferrall said that a society such as Lloyds has several fail-safe mechanisms to ensure its own high surveying standards, including quality audits both from within and by the states which use their services.But LR's Piraeus-based area manager Vassilis Papageorgiou defended the island's reputation. He said the reason for Cyprus' apparently high detention rate is the large number of ships -- more than 2,500 -- on its registry.

[08] Deloitte & Touche chief attends Limassol meetingMORE than 120 Deloitte & Touche partners and their spouses are gathering in Cyprus for the company's Central Europe Annual Partners' Meeting. The three-day event begins in Limassol tomorrow.Ed Kangas, chairman of Deloitte & Touche, will be attending, a fact that underlines the importance of the Limassol gathering.Deloitte & Touche Central Europe is organised from Cyprus. It has 1,700 people in a total of 17 countries, which include Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary as well as Balkan and Baltic countries."This decision (to hold the meeting in Cyprus) by Deloitte & Touche Central Europe (DTCE) is a great success for the local firm but, more importantly, a recognition of Cyprus as an international financial centre," said Demetris Ioannides, Managing Partner of Deloitte & Touche, Cyprus."Our goal is the excellent organisation of the meeting and at the same time to make this event a memorable experience so that the partners and officers of DTCE consider Cyprus as an ideal place for their future plans, either for business or pleasure," Ioannides added.

[01] ‘Unionised’ soldiers return to CreteBy Charlie CharalambousA BATCH of National Guard officers has returned to Crete to help install Russian S-300 missiles, several weeks after they were sent back to Cyprus on "compassionate leave"."Some of those handling the S-300s have returned to Crete but we can give no more details for security reasons," a Defence Ministry source told The Sunday Mailyesterday.Reports say 88 officers and NCOs, S-300 missile experts trained by the Russians, returned to Crete on Friday evening aboard a Greek air force C-130 transport plane.The Cypriot officers are not only there to train their Greek counterparts but also to assist Russian technicians -- who have just arrived on Crete -- install the S-300 batteries.Work on installing the S-300s on Crete is expected to get under way tomorrow.The presence of Cypriot officers on Crete is part of the deal which saw the controversial ground-to-air weapons redirected to the Greek island after the Cyprus government caved in to international pressure last December.Last month, the same officers were sent packing by the Greek army after they complained about their pay and conditions. Some even went on local TV to criticise their accommodation -- reportedly good enough for Greek fighter-pilots -- and to claim they weren't being paid enough to suffer hardship so far from home.The government denied that Greece sent the army officers -- it was claimed some even refused to take orders from their Greek superiors -- packing in the dead of night on a C-130.On the reported rift between the National Guard and Greek army command over the issue, Defence Minister Yiannakis Chrysostomis held an impromptu news conference on May 14 to deny the allegations.The official line was that almost 100 officers were given "mass leave" to see their families in Cyprus, even though they were sent straight back to their units. But Chrysostomis himself conceded he had personally intervened when on a trip to Greece to promise the dissenting troops hefty allowances.Cabinet members balked at the defence ministry's extra allowance proposal, which was said to be in the region of a £400-a-month increase, and failed to approve additional cash for the officers.The Defence Ministry is now saying it will "find other ways" to resolve the officers’ pay demands.

June 06, 1999

[02] Eurocypria pilots rubbish safety claim by CY colleaguesBy Jean ChristouEUROCYPRIA pilots yesterday rubbished claims by their Cyprus Airways counterparts that the charter firm's current flight operations made it unsafe.Sources within Eurocypria's pilots union told The Sunday Mailthey had no idea what was behind the attack, but assumed it had something to do with the CY pilots’ long-time claim on the charter firm's promotions.The Cyprus Airways pilots’ union Pasipy had been reported as questioning Eurocypria's flight scheduling, suggesting it was putting passengers at risk. The claim was made in an official Pasipy announcement.In an earlier announcement on Friday, Pasipy strongly criticised the CY management for publicly naming sick pilots, a move it says forced them to return to work despite being ill. This also jeopardised passenger safety, Pasipy said.Several pilots have fallen mysteriously ill recently, a situation that has prompted speculation that they were putting pressure on the company over the Eurocypria promotions.Cyprus Airways has responded to the latest allegations by saying that checks by the British Civil Aviation Authority, under which all CY and Eurocypria pilots are licensed, found nothing amiss."We don't know what's behind all this -- it's got nothing to do with safety," said a Eurocypria source. "It seems that either they have a grudge against those who draw up the roster or they want it to appear that Eurocypria does not have sufficient resources to complete schedules so that they can put pressure on Cyprus Airways on the Eurocypria promotions."Pasipy and the national carrier are currently in a dispute over several vacancies for captain at Eurocypria. When Eurocypria was ‘Cypriotised’, ten British captains left the company and were replaced by Cyprus Airways pilots because the charter firm's co-pilots were not experienced enough at that time.Last year Eurocypria pilots struck a deal with CY management to fill all new captain vacancies from their ranks, but Pasipy wants the positions for its members and has been blocking the promotions process.The Eurocypria pilots have been demanding that the company fulfil the agreement it has with them on the vacancies, but management is still stalling. The Eurocypria pilots are now likely to move towards drastic measures in the coming weeks unless a decision is taken.The Eurocypria sources also said that it appears one of the Cyprus Airways captains is heading towards extended sick leave, which in effect creates another vacancy at the airline.The source said that under the ‘Cypriotisation’ deal this vacancy should go to one of the ten CY captains at Eurocypria, which in turn will create yet another post at Eurocypria which will also need to be filled.Cyprus Airways officials were not available for comment yesterday, and Pasipy president Chris Christodoulou, speaking from London, said he was unaware of the latest reports and could not comment.

June 06, 1999

[03] Shepherd charged with indecent assaultA 41-year-old Paphos shepherd has been charged with indecent sexual assault against a mother of four, said police yesterday.He was charged after he allegedly tried to attack the mother at her village home twice in one night. Yesterday he was released from custody after spending a night in the cells at Peyia police station, Paphos police said.The man’s arrest followed a formal complaint by the 29- year-old woman who alleged the shepherd sneaked into her home at 2am and sexually assaulted her while her husband was away.The woman’s screams woke her children, and the intruder then made off.The woman told police the man came back again later, entering the house through the kitchen window. But she had moved from her bedroom and locked herself in with the children, and the intruder left again.The suspect is expected to appear in court at a later date.

June 06, 1999

[04] Man killed in collision

Andreas Alexandrou was driving in the village with his wife Molly, 65, as a passenger when their car collided with a vehicle driven by Andreas Assiotis, 20, from the nearby village of Frenaros. The accident happened at around 11.30am.

All three were taken to Paralimni hospital where Alexandrou was confirmed dead. His wife was taken to Larnaca hospital with a broken hip and Assiotis was transferred to a private clinic to be treated for light injuries.

June 06, 1999

[05] Indefinite strike at Larnaca portWORKERS at Larnaca port will begin an indefinite strike as of tomorrow, they announced yesterday.At a general assembly yesterday morning some 60 workers agreed to strike in protest over a redundancy package offered by the government which is downscaling the activities of the port.Larnaca port has lost most of its business over the past five years, and workers have rejected a proposal to use the port as a passenger terminal.Yesterday the workers rejected outright the government's offer and they are now seeking the support of Limassol port workers for their industrial action.The strike is expected to affect potato shipments, one of Larnaca port's remaining cargo activities.Sek union representative Pantelis Stavrou said that a meeting the union had with the government to resolve the problem failed to reach a deal on redundancy.He called on the government to think gain and come up with a new proposal.

June 06, 1999

[06] Call for policy on recyclingAGRICULTURE Minister Costas Themistocleous yesterday took the opportunity to mark World Environment Day by calling for a comprehensive policy on recycling."Each one us produces half a ton of waste every year which is dumped at landfill sites," Themistocleous said in his environment day message. "There’s an almost complete lack of any organised recycling programme which deals with paper, plastics and metals."He said other areas which needed improvement included the processing of liquid waste, water conservation and preventing the pollution of water sources.He urged greater public awareness over water conservation because of the continuing drought and the strain on diminishing resources.Themistocleous also made a veiled criticism of the government's dallying over the Akamas."In the area of nature protection our most important proposal is the conservation plan for the Akamas. Unfortunately, a lack of the necessary political decisions has delayed its application."Turning the Akamas into a national park has been on the political agenda for ten years without results.

June 06, 1999

[07] Lloyds bids for larger share of Cyprus shippingLLOYDS Register (LR) has decided to make a bid for a larger share in classifying Cypriot-flagged ships by opening an office in Limassol.The international society currently classifies 20 per cent of the Cyprus fleet, but now hopes to increase this share substantially by having an office on the island, according to LR chairman Patrick O’Ferrall.Cyprus currently ranks sixth in the list of maritime nations, with a fleet of more than 23 million gross tonnage."LR is keen to play a part in this success," O’Ferrall said. "We should have done it earlier," he admitted.LR has 280 offices in more than 100 countries worldwide.The Limassol office will be headed by Koulis Christofides, who has worked as a surveyor in the shipping industry for 26 years.In an address to guests at the launch of the new office, O’Ferrall outlined LR's role in the international maritime industry, pointing out the company's commitment to enhancing the safety of life and property both at sea, and on land; reinvesting surplus income into training, research and development, and technical education."We have a simple rule. If we think that a ship is safe we give it a certificate," O’Ferrall said.Cyprus recently asked that several inspectors from an unnamed classification society abroad be kept away from its ships because it alleged they were not doing their job properly.This was leading to the classification of substandard ships under the Cyprus flag and the subsequent detention of more Cypriot-flagged ships by port state controls. More detentions in turn lead to the tarnishing of the island's open flag reputation.O’Ferrall said that a society such as Lloyds has several fail-safe mechanisms to ensure its own high surveying standards, including quality audits both from within and by the states which use their services.But LR's Piraeus-based area manager Vassilis Papageorgiou defended the island's reputation. He said the reason for Cyprus' apparently high detention rate is the large number of ships -- more than 2,500 -- on its registry.

June 06, 1999

[08] Deloitte & Touche chief attends Limassol meetingMORE than 120 Deloitte & Touche partners and their spouses are gathering in Cyprus for the company's Central Europe Annual Partners' Meeting. The three-day event begins in Limassol tomorrow.Ed Kangas, chairman of Deloitte & Touche, will be attending, a fact that underlines the importance of the Limassol gathering.Deloitte & Touche Central Europe is organised from Cyprus. It has 1,700 people in a total of 17 countries, which include Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary as well as Balkan and Baltic countries."This decision (to hold the meeting in Cyprus) by Deloitte & Touche Central Europe (DTCE) is a great success for the local firm but, more importantly, a recognition of Cyprus as an international financial centre," said Demetris Ioannides, Managing Partner of Deloitte & Touche, Cyprus."Our goal is the excellent organisation of the meeting and at the same time to make this event a memorable experience so that the partners and officers of DTCE consider Cyprus as an ideal place for their future plans, either for business or pleasure," Ioannides added.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

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