Galery

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Members of the port workers’ trade union blocked the three ports around Athens - Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio.

At 6:00 am, a group of trade unionists had gathered at the pier from which the ships for the islands in the Argosaronikos bay depart. The trade unionists did not allow two hydrofoils, known as "flying dolphins", to leave the port. In addition, they thwarted the boarding of "Agios Nektarios" ship, which should have sailed to Aegina. The passengers had gathered around the ship, but no one was informing them as to whether it would depart and when.

The two ships departed shortly after 9:00 am after the workers received a written assurance from the shipping company that it had paid the wages earned until February. One of the ships sails to the islands of Poros, Hydra, Spetses and the port of Porto Heli and the other sails to the island of Aegina and the pier in Angistri.

In statements for To Vima newspaper, workers’ representatives had said that they would carry out an inspection of the other ships that had been blocked in the morning. They pledged to raise their blockades in the event that their owners had also paid the wages.

Earlier today, the trade unionists had said that their plan was to block one of the four ships that would depart today from the port of Rafina and to prevent the departure of three ships from the port of Lavrio.

According to them, the purpose of their actions was to pressure ship owners to pay the outstanding wages to the crews of the ships and they did not exclude the possibility of thwarting the departure of other ships.

Representatives of the Hellenic Association of Engineers in the Merchant Navy state that 70% of employees in passenger shipping have not received their salaries for 5-6 months.

There has been enhanced presence of coastal police members in all facilities and areas of the port of Piraeus since morning.

To be continued