The Union of the Libyan Handling Company at the Misrata station announced an open sit-in, starting today, Sunday, for an indefinite period until their demands are met.

Head of the Union, Nizar Al-Swehli, said in a video statement that the sit-in came to demand their suspended salaries, in addition to other demands, accusing the government of what he described as a lack of seriousness in implementing the demands of working employees.

Al-Swehli revealed that the strike might include a number of other airports besides Misrata.

Following the announcement of the sit-in, Afriqiyah Airways noted that it had transferred its flight schedule to Istanbul from Misrata Airport to Mitiga International Airport, as precautionary measure, due to the handling staff sit-in.

The handling workers of the Ground Services Company at Sebha Airport announced earlier the suspension of work for all airlines, except for the Libyan Wings Company, International Airlines and Oil Services, as of Sunday, in solidarity with the demands of workers in all the company's stations at local airports.

The workers pointed out that the most prominent demands are the payment of salaries that have been delayed for 19 months, and the integration of the company's employees into the office of the Ministry of Transportation so that they receive their salaries regularly, until the company's conditions are improved.

For its part, the Benghazi Ground Services Union announced its withdrawal from the General Union of Air Transport of the Libyan Workers Union, in protest at its failure to carry out its duties, foremost of which is protecting the rights of workers in the Libyan Ground Services Company, the most important of which is the payment of their salaries that have been suspended for more than a year.

The Benghazi Ground Services Union called on the International Trade Union to support the demands of workers and their right to sit-in through the General Federation of Trade Unions of Libya.