Civil aviation union calls off planned strikes

The Civil Aviation Authority union federation OSYPA, which also represents Greece’s air-traffic controllers, on Wednesday called off planned strike action announced the previous day as a gesture of good will towards the government.
The union federation had earlier received assurances from Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Minister Yiannis Ragoussis that the ministry would release funds to pay its members some four months of unpaid backpay for night shifts and holidays. The ministry also promised to release the equivalent funds in October, after the summer season.
OSYPA had announced daily work stoppages throughout August, in the heart of the tourism season, as well as 24-hour strikes on all Sundays and the August 15 bank holiday. The action was expected to disrupt flights to the country’s peripheral airports.
OSYPA has called off all strike action in anticipation that the minister will deliver on his promises to pay its members the money owed them.