NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Angry electricity authority workers in Cyprus pelted parliament with fruit and rocks during a strike Monday to protest government plans to privatize the state-run organization. Workers from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus gathered outside parliament as lawmakers prepared to discuss a bill on privatizing the EAC as well as the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority and the Cyprus Ports authority. Riot police scuffled with protesters, but there were no immediate reports of arrests. The workers have announced a 12-hour stoppage. The government has pledged to its international creditors that it will have passed the bill by March 5. The Cyprus News Agency said scuffles broke out with police when protesters tried to push past the police barricade in an attempt to enter parliament. Privatizing state-run companies is part of Cyprus' 10 billion euro ($13.7 billion) international bailout agreement reached last year. The deal saw authorities seize large portions of uninsured savings in the two largest banks and impose capital controls. EAC must be privatized by 2018.
