Ships at dock for another 48 hours

The continuing seamen strike is causing an infarction to the shipping industry and the islands, while shipping companies are not willing to raise wages by more than 0,5%...

The Administration of the PSF (Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation) convened on Saturday morning and after evaluating the situation, decided to continue the strike for another 48 hours, until 06:00 Tuesday, November 30th 2010. 

As the PSF points out,

«Our administration has come to this decision since seeing that, with the exception of the Ferry Union, who signed the relevant memorandum for the Collective Labor Agreement for 2010, and the two employers’ organizations: 1) Association of Greek Ship-owners and 2) Greek Ship-owners' Association for Passenger Ships, there is no willingness on the part of employers in other ship categories to sign the rest of the CLAs for 2010, which is drawing to its end. 

Following these findings, our Administration was led to the self-evident decision of continuing the strike until the satisfaction of the demands already known from a previous press release. 

Thus, our strike continues nationwide with a 48-hour extension, from 06:00, November 28th until 06:00 Tuesday November 26th 2010, with the option of further escalation, involving the ship categories for which the CLA signature is still pending: 1) Coastal Passenger – Ferries, 2) Mediterranean Freighters and 3) Coastal Freighters below 500 GRT’s. 

The islanders

 

At the same time, the island population faces severe problems regarding their food supplies and essential everyday needs. The farmers are unable to bring their perishable products to the market and are on the verge of financial disaster. 

The agricultural organisations of Crete are requesting a «here and now» departure of a ship loaded with vulnerable agricultural products. 

These developments have angered producers and traders of horticultural products who were expecting at this time to sell their fresh merchandise to the markets of Greece and the rest of Europe. 

As heads of these organizations indicate, if at least one ship does not depart, they will lose all their signed deals for deliveries within the next week.  

Most of last week’s agreements have sunk and it’s a certainty that many deals and hard won customers will be lost. 

Also, many agricultural households will find themselves in huge debt since the cultivation is done by means of bank loans, which is also the case with commercial enterprises that have taken out export loans. 

However, the prices of agricultural products have already plummeted and some traders are stocking at half price in order to sell at high prices, allegedly due to shortages, and make a huge profit at the markets of Athens and Thessaloniki. There is similar experience from previous strikes by truck owners and seamen, who for a few days put a trading embargo on Crete.