New 48-hour strike declared by seamen

In protest at the latest round of pension cuts, a worsening tax status and increased job insecurity, seamen have declared a new 48-hour strike that will keep ships docked until Tuesday.

After assembling today, the Executive Committee of the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) has declared a new 48-hour nationwide strike that will last from 06:00 Sunday, December 4 to 06:00 Tuesday, December 6.

On Monday at 11:00, the 13 unions of the PNO will gather at Agios Dionysios and march to the Shipping Ministry, where a delegation of workers will likely meet with the minister concerning its demands.

The union has threatened an escalation should Alexis Tsipras’s leftist coalition government fail to address its concerns regarding planned reforms of special tax regulations in the sector.

GSEE, the union that represents Greece’s private sector workers, has also called on union members to take part in the December 8 strike in protest against the government’s ongoing austerity measures.

Rural producers from Ierapetra have requested safe passage for their perishable products from Crete in the event that the strike continues. The district commissioner of Crete, Stavros Arnaoutakis, conveyed the request to the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Panayiotis Kouroublis.