Cyprus ports are stretched to the limit as truck drivers continue their indefinite strike that began on November 3. This situation has disrupted logistics across the country and is already threatening the supply of goods, especially ahead of the Christmas season.
According to the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the load on the ports has reached a critical level. If the situation does not change, ships will be forced to leave without unloading containers, causing delays and threatening Cyprus' reputation as a trading hub for the Eastern Mediterranean.
About 1,900 tons of perishable products have accumulated in warehouses - fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meat. If they are not unloaded on time, suppliers will suffer multi-million dollar losses.
The initiator of the action is the Pan-Cyprus Union of Carriers. Drivers say they took extreme measures due to unresolved issues with the Ministry of Transport. Among the main demands are changes to the rules on the height of containers, the registration procedure for retractable semi-trailers, the abolition of fees for days of waiting for containers and a ban on the retention of cargo due to the fault of a non-carrier. According to the union, some solutions have already been proposed and can be implemented without significant costs, especially regarding tachographs.
Retailers are also sounding the alarm. The Cyprus Retail Association (Pasyle) warns that businesses could lose millions of euros if the strike continues. Its president, Marios Antoniou, noted that stores bring in fresh produce every day, which cannot be returned or compensated if it goes bad. Moreover, the protest began during the hottest trading period - before Black Friday, Christmas and New Year.
The organization criticized the strike for harming companies and consumers, calling on all parties to immediately return to dialogue. The Chamber also proposed to assign part of the costs for downtime and damage to goods to carriers.
The union responded by holding an emergency meeting on November 4 to discuss further action and support for drivers. Carrier representatives said the government's proposed solutions could ease tensions if implemented in a timely manner.
Source: cyprus-mail.com
