Around 120 Larnaca bus drivers are in Nicosia staging a series of protests over what they claim is the failure of the Larnaca Zinonas Buses Ltd employers to uphold their part of the bargain over salaries and benefits.

The bus drivers have been on strike since last week and will on Monday take their demonstration to the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Communications and to the parliament where MPs were expected to discuss the issue.

The drivers travelled in two buses from Larnaca on Monday morning and were expected to arrive at the Communications Ministry at 8.30am where they were set to request a meeting with Communications Minister Marios Demetriades.

They were then expected to travel to the Labour Ministry where they were set to request Labour Minister Zeta Emilianidou to intervene on the matter and assist them with their demands.

Finally, the day’s demonstration was to end at the parliament where the matter is set to be discussed at the House Labour Committee while requests will also be made to speak to MPs.

Speaking on state radio on Monday morning, Demetriades said a solution can be found “through dialogue and not blackmail” adding that the bus drivers “had gone too far with their protests”.

Talks between unions representing the drivers and Demetriades failed to find a breakthrough last week following a last-stitch effort by the ministry to find a compromise. The drivers are supported by bus drivers in Limassol – who have similar demands.

The bus drivers are asking for their salaries to be reinstated to previous levels, right before the company cut a deal with them last year to lower wages due to financial difficulties.

But the agreement expired at the end of 2015, and drivers are warning that if their income levels don’t go back to normal, they will remain on strike.

The bus company says this is not possible, arguing that business is down due to the economic crisis.

In the meantime, passengers remain stranded and with only as few as three routes being taken on by private companies, some of whom are shareholders in the company.