Greek cruise operators fret over strikes sparked by port sale

Thessaloniki Port Authority SA

07/06/2016 16:14

By Lefteris Karagiannopoulos 
    ATHENS, June 7 (Reuters) - Greek cruise ship operators are 
worried of a lasting impact on the sector from an ongoing strike 
by port workers protesting against the sale of the country's 
biggest port Piraeus  OLPr.AT  to Chinese shipping giant COSCO. 
    Greece in April agreed the sale of a 67 percent stake in 
Piraeus Port to COSCO  601919.SS  for 368.5 million euros under 
a third international bailout. 
    Port workers have held 48-hour rolling strikes since late 
May, disrupting cargo operations and services provided to cruise 
ships docking at Piraeus over fears their jobs are at risk. 
    "We are very worried," said Theodoros Kontes, head of the 
Greek cruise ship owners association. "If they keep striking, we 
are expecting a 10 million euro impact on our business in 
Piraeus only for June." 
    Greece had revenue of 560 million euros from about 2.5 
million cruise ship passengers last year and the sector has been 
growing since May after cruise lines shunned Turkey and Egypt 
for Greece, due to safety concerns.  
    But Kontes said he was concerned that this positive trend 
could be reversed after two cruise ships left Piraeus over the 
weekend to dock at other ports in Greece and Italy due to the 
port workers' labour action. 
    "If the strike continues and many companies perceive the 
situation unpredictable, there is a risk that they dock 
elsewhere, or even make more permanent changes to their 
schedule," said Giorgios Paliouras, a member of the board of the 
Greek travel agents association. 
    Port workers want COSCO to safeguard jobs for a minimum 
number of people, with current labour contracts, as part of a 
concession agreement to be signed later this year.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N18S3G7 
    "Renewing the 48-hour strikes is what we have in mind,"  
said George Georgakopoulos, the dock workers union director. "We 
recognise there is an inconvenience for passengers and that is 
why we ask the government to resolve the matter the soonest." 
    The Greek government called on workers on Monday to stop 
strike action and help find a realistic and viable solution. 
 
 (Editing by Angeliki Koutantou and David Evans) 
 ((lefteris.karagiannopoulos@thomsonreuters.com; +30 
2103376443;)) 
 
Keywords: EUROZONE GREECE/PRIVATISATION PORT