Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 99-03-10

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Wednesday, March 10, 1999

Head-on collision looms over hotels

THE ONGOING industrial dispute at two Larnaca hotels was competing for front page space with reports about US envoy Thomas Miller's arrival in the region on Thursday.

Simerini claimed that the deadlock in the dialogue between unions and Lordos Holdings, owner of the two hotels, raised the danger of a "head-on collision" that would not be restricted to the hotel industry. It predicted that a clash between the "whole working class" and "employers groups from all sectors" was a possibility.

The new deadlock has caused unions to consider taking strike measures at other hotels before extending action to other sectors. They would also seek help from foreign unions.

The Chairman of Lordos Holdings, Dinos Lordos, insisted that his company had, in making staff redundant, been exercising its legal right to decide what was in the best interest of its 1,300 shareholders and 400 workers. The government and the parties were concerned about the dispute as it could deal a big blow to the foundations of industrial peace, it said.

Haravghi, clearly on the side of the strikers, said the workers would "fight until the end". It warned Lordos, whom it described as "ruthless and abusive", that "his game will not only have disastrous effects for himself, but for the whole hotel sector".

His "desperate attempt to eliminate the union movement" was doomed to failure, the paper said. It accused Lordos of resorting to "flimsy excuses to quit negotiations indefinitely". His refusal to negotiate should concern all those who cared about the future of the tourist industry, the paper warned.

Phileleftheros reported that the stepping up of the confrontational rhetoric by both Athens and Ankara had prompted the United States to ask its Cyprus envoy Thomas Miller to intervene during this week's scheduled visit to the region.

Miller's contacts, which began in Ankara yesterday, were aimed at reducing the tension in Cyprus and building a basis - in co-operation with the UN - for a Cyprus settlement. The prospects of success were very limited although Miller's visit could pave the way for more drastic interventions in the future.

Politis was more blunt about Miller's ability to get a result. It said the envoy "is chasing a miracle", although it gave no explanation. It did say that the US efforts had the full support of the German presidency of the EU.

However, Germany, whose envoy Detlev Graf zu Rantzau, was also in Cyprus, believed that Turkey's stance made any initiative problematic. Rantzau's visit to Cyprus could not be interpreted as the start of a European initiative on Cyprus.

Machi claimed that foreign warships had completely surrounded Cyprus. It published two "exclusive pictures" of the warships of "unknown nationality" which had allegedly entered Cyprus waters prompting the National Guard command to put the army on alert.

A source at the General Staff told the paper that the two warships had been seen by coastguards entering Cyprus waters where they stayed for 10 minutes before leaving. The police carried out patrols along the Cyprus coast.

Alithia reported that the Edek leadership had been very constructive in its talks with President Clerides regarding the government's efforts to gain party support for its unpopular EU harmonisation measures.

It quoted the government spokesman as saying that the dialogue with representatives of three parties (Edek, Free Democrats and the Renewal Party) had been very productive, although there were differences in approach.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article