Seamen’s strike is on from Monday

The Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) is going ahead with the rolling strikes that start on Monday, causing severe disruption to maritime transport, following the fruitless talks with Development and Merchant Marine Minister Anna Diamantopoulou and Labor Minister Giorgos Koutroumanis on Saturday. Seamen insist on the lifting of their mobilization, on the signing of collective labor contracts for 2012, on the maintenance of restrictions to coastal shipping, on the continued funding of their pension fund from the state budget and on the independence of their medical fund from the national health service organization (EOPYY). This means that most ferry services will be disrupted as of Monday as PNO has called two 48-hour strikes until Thursday, with a view to more industrial action the following days. The PNO General Secretary Yiannis Chalas said that nothing new has come out of the meeting; as a result the strike is on as planned. “There is neither any planning nor any programming by the government,” stated Chalas.

Ekathimerini.com