Cyprus Airport Workers Stage Strike

NICOSIA — Airport workers said Monday that they walked off the job for two hours over the weekend to protest "degrading" security checks — a wildcat strike that stranded more than 1,000 passengers in Paphos.

Police have stepped up checks at Paphos, Cyprus' second-largest airport, in recent weeks following European Union criticism of its security.

But a spokesman for the workers accused police of unfairly targeting some employees with excessive security checks, forcing one man to remove his dentures and requiring others to put their lunch through X-ray machines.

"We want the same level of security screening that all other airport employees go through," Andreas Strongylos said on state radio. "Why should they make us take out our dentures anyway?"

Officials said more than 1,000 passengers were left stranded for at least two hours Sunday when workers walked off the job.

Michalis Miltiades, a spokesman for airport operator Hermes, said six charter flights from Britain were affected, with some 400 people unable to disembark from aircraft.

"We regret the fact that things have got this far," he said on state radio. "As far as we know, all staff go through the same security checks. Even we have to take our belts off."

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