Jobs of Larnaca port and marina workers are safe

 All Larnaca port and marina workers have been hired by the Larnaca and Famagusta District Development Agency, the transport ministry announced on Monday.

The process is part of a deal clinched between the ministry and workers who feared for their jobs after the government terminated its concession agreement with Kition Ocean Holdings.

A total of 72 workers were dismissed from their jobs as a result, and the government pledged they would not be left without work.

The Larnaca and Famagusta District Development Agency has since moved to hire all of them, a process which was wrapped on June 28, the transport ministry confirmed.

At the same time, the ministry has begun talks with Larnaca’s ad hoc committee on the strategic plan to implement the development project.

The aim is to announce the next steps by the end of July.

Following the termination of the agreement, “the government set a goal to ensure the smooth operations of critical infrastructure at Larnaca port and marina,” as well as reviving and implementing the project.

To this end, management of the port has been temporarily assigned to the ports authority and the marina to the transport ministry.

“Works at the port and Larnaca marina have not been interrupted for a single day.”

In the meantime, talks are ongoing with Kitio Ocean Holdings to hand over the equipment “as the agreement provides for”.

The government scrapped the €1.2 billion development agreement in May, saying it had no other choice, accusing Kition Ocean Holdings of repeatedly failing to pay its financial guarantee.