BOTH the Greek Port Workers’ Union and the Greek Seafarers’ Union on Monday condemned the Greek government’s intention to privatise the port of Piraeus, the largest in Greece and in the east Mediterranean.
The unions said that the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) programme states unequivocally that all Greek ports will remain state owned, a position reiterated in the Vouli (Greek parliament) by the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in his inaugural speech in early February.
The unions are furious with the Greek Deputy Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis who, on a visit to Beijing last weekend, announced the selling off of the Piraeus Port Authority which made a profit of 7m euros in 2014.
The Chinese state company COSCO, which already owns one of the Piraeus port’s main docks, has been demanding control over the whole of the Piraeus port as a main entry for goods into European Union countries.
The Greek Port Workers’ Union has demanded a meeting with Dragasakis while stating that it is preparing mobilisations against privatisation.
Since both unions’ leaders are SYRIZA supporters, they are quite reluctant to call strike action.
The privatisation of the Piraeus and Thessaloniki seaports is high up on the list of ‘reforms’ demanded by the EC-IMF-ECB troika of the Greek government along with increased taxation and value added tax, pension cuts, mass sackings legislation and the privatisation of all Greece’s regional airports.
Unless there is an agreement on these issues, the European Commission won’t release any funds to Greece.
The Greek government said that the instalment of 450m euros to the IMF due on April 9 will be paid. Early this month, the Bank of Greece said that the country possesses funds to pay pensions and wages ‘until April’.
Discussions on reaching an agreement on the ‘reforms’ are being currently held in Brussels between Greek government representatives and the troika ‘technical team’. Greek Prime Minister Tsipras, speaking in the Vouli on Monday night, said that he was ‘optimistic’ for an ‘honourable compromise’ with the EC and IMF.
Tsipras is to meet President Putin in Moscow on April 8.
Tsipras stated that he does not support sanctions against Russia and he said that Greek agricultural products would be exported to Russia.
On Monday, Greek Energy, Industry and Environment Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis met in Moscow with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Gazprom head Alexi Miller.