Share

Cypriot bank staff boycotts bailout

Athens - Hundreds of Cypriot bank workers marched peacefully toward parliament on Thursday over fears that their jobs and pensions are at risk under an international bailout deal.

Bank employees earlier staged a two-hour walk-out, with unions saying that pension deposits at the now defunct Laiki bank totaling €27m ($34.7m) will be wiped out, while another €15m at the Bank of Cyprus will face losses of up to 60%.

Two of the country's banks are to be restructured in exchange for a €10bn ($12.8bn) bailout from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.

With one of the banks being wound down, retrenchments are expected, while the pension fund for more than 11 000 banking sector workers is also seen to be at risk.

Banks have been operating under strict capital controls since they reopened a week ago.

European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi conceded on Thursday that a failed attempt last month to tax small depositors in Cyprus as part of a bailout was "not smart".

Asked if it had been a mistake for the ECB to agree to the levy after Nicosia proposed it in negotiations, Draghi told reporters: "It was not a smart move and it was corrected the day after."

He insisted that the proposed levy on deposits under €100 000, which caused outrage in Cyprus and spooked financial markets, had never been part of the original ECB bailout proposals.



We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.24
-0.4%
Rand - Pound
23.90
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.47
-0.4%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
-0.6%
Platinum
948.90
-0.2%
Palladium
1,025.50
-0.4%
Gold
2,386.88
+0.3%
Silver
28.29
+0.2%
Brent Crude
87.11
-0.2%
Top 40
67,190
+0.4%
All Share
73,271
+0.4%
Resource 10
63,297
-0.1%
Industrial 25
98,419
+0.6%
Financial 15
15,479
+0.6%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders