The first "warning" strike mobilizations have commenced in the country's largest ports, Piraeus and Thessalonica, since yesterday marked the first 24-hour strike of the New Year. Workers are reacting to the government plans to privatize the container terminals at the ports and handling over control to private investors, in order to improve the ports' efficiency, achieve cargo growth and improve infrastructure. Dockworkers are planning work-to-rule protests for the rest of the week, and a second 24-hour strike Friday. As part of the reactions, workers will be abstaining from overtime labor and weekend work, during the 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th and 13th of January.
Last month, Merchant Marine Minister George Voulgarakis said the government would launch a tender for the management contract of two of the three container wharfs in Piraeus, and for the entire container terminal in Thessaloniki - with tenders to be completed by June.
Piraeus is among the 10 largest ports in Europe, and the largest port in container throughput in the eastern Mediterranean. Dubai Ports World, Cosco Pacific Ltd., AP Moeller Maersk AS, Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and Zim Lines have all expressed interest in the privatization.
After a near two-month strike at the end of 2006, the government was forced to scrap a similar privatization effort. This time around, things may be different, but it will all come down to finding a modus vivendi and means of understanding with dock workers, who are able to bring any such privatization to a halt once more, together with the country's economy, since a major part of imports-exports is conducted through the gateways of Piraeus and Thessalonica. What's certain is that the much needed investments in infrastructure are bound to face new delays, with the country's ports ready to lose their opportunity to act as a major regional transshipment gateway towards European Union.
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