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Victoria Mindova

Pieria regional court decided that the strikes of both syndicate groups – the Port Employees Union and Port Employees Association - are unjustified and illegal. The goal of the strikes was to review some of the contract clauses with Cosco before the contract comes into effect. More precisely, the unions were protesting against the legal labor relations and against Cosco’s tax reliefs.

The decision of the court includes that if the strike continues, a fine of €4000 will be applied and every protester will be arrested for a day. Also further strikes are forbidden if they have are against privatizing Pieria port. Late at night it became clear that the unions are stopping their strike. The syndicate members could have changed their reasons for the strike and continued with new demands.

During this critical moment, the new board member chairman of Pieria port Georgios Anomeritis, assumed his position. He will play a main role in communicating with the port employees and concessioners. During the first hours of his appointment the former minister of trade fleet said that he will meet representatives of the port employees and of SEP – Cosco’s daughter firm. “I asked for a meeting with representatives of both sides and I believe that today the basis for a productive and truthful conversation will be put. The goal is the development of Pieria port as a whole,” explained for journalists Georgios Anomeritis. The main topic of discussion with SEP representatives will be negotiating the contract clauses regarding taxation and tax reliefs. The conversation with the port employees will be solely pointed at the legal labor relations and social security.

Government spokesman Georgios Petalotis asked the protesters to concentrate mainly on the upcoming negotiations. The government supports the concession contract but believes that improvements can be made. The Chief Confederation of Greek Workers evaluated the court’s decision as irrelevant and extremely unacceptable. In official statement the confederation blamed the attempts of the court to “criminalize the syndicate actions in order to stop the fight for social justice.”