Crews and land-based personnel from cruise ship operators were handling baggage and related services at the port of Piraeus on Saturday, as dock workers continued a strike for the 17th day in demand of guarantees for their tenured employment contracts.
The strike also affected the port of Thessaloniki in northern Greece.
The industrial action bodes ill for Greece’s main port, given that Piraeus Port Authority officials and especially tourism professionals in the greater Athens area have worked for years to turn the destination into a home port for major operators.
No less than seven cruise ships arrived on Saturday, whereas one vessel was diverted to the small port town of Lavrio, southeast of Piraeus. Some 12,000 visitors were expected disembark and visit the greater Athens area for varying periods over the weekend. In other to avoid inconvenience to senior citizens among the passengers and other people with impaired movement, authorities allowed coaches and taxis to enter the passenger terminal and que up next to the docked vessels.
The unions representing dock workers, stevedores and other port staff are demanding that their collective bargaining agreements be safeguarded in a contract to be submitted to Parliament for ratification.
The contract will seal the sale of a majority stake of the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) and its management to Chinese multinational Cosco.
