On 48 hour warning strike the Panhellenic Maritime Federation (PNO) is advancing, on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 Octoberas a result of which the ships remained tied up in the ports for two days.

In particular, today, Wednesday, October 2, a meeting was held between the Managements of the Association of Passenger Shipping Companies – SEEN and the Panhellenic Maritime Federation – PNO. The purpose of the meeting was the renewal and signing of the S.S.E. of Coastal Ferries Passenger International Ships & Cruise Ships for the year 2025.

Beyond the rate of increase in the salary of the workers of one of the most profitable industries of the country, issues concerning the working status of the sailors of the federation in the specific categories of ships were put on the table.

SEEN did not accept the 12% increase requested by PNO and instead proposed a 3% increase (2.9% inflation) and to close the meeting there without discussing working conditions. After the impasse, the Executive Committee of the P.N.O held an extraordinary meeting which, as they said, discussed the “uncompromising attitude of the employer”. PNO emphasizes that it cannot ignore the high profitability of the companies or the 150,000,000 euros they collect annually from the State fund for the barren lines”.

The Panhellenic Maritime Federation (PNO) is going on a 48-hour warning strike on Tuesday, October 22 and Wednesday, October 23, as a result of which the ships will remain tied up in the ports for two days.

In particular, today, Wednesday, October 2, a meeting was held between the Managements of the Association of Passenger Shipping Companies – SEEN and the Panhellenic Maritime Federation – PNO. The purpose of the meeting was the renewal and signing of the S.S.E. of Coastal Ferries Passenger International Ships & Cruise Ships for the year 2025.

Beyond the rate of increase in the salary of the employeesn one of the country’s most profitable industries, issues concerning the employment status of the seafarers of the federation in the specific categories of ships.

SEEN did not accept the 12% increase requested by PNO and instead proposed a 3% increase (2.9% inflation) and to close the meeting there without discussing working conditions. After the impasse, the Executive Committee of the P.N.O held an extraordinary meeting which, as they said, discussed the “uncompromising attitude of the employer”. PNO emphasizes that it cannot ignore the high profitability of the companies or the 150,000,000 euros they collect annually from the State fund for the barren lines”.

While PNO complained that the Government is preparing a bonus for the companies to replace the ships towards the green transition and that even the minimum rights of seafarers included in the relevant legislation are violated on all the ships of the companies in question. While several members of PNO noted that “Board members of SEEN buy ships worth tens of millions of euros” implying the super profits of the coastal shipping companies and the absence of consumer regulation.

The labor issues mentioned by PNO include the “regime imposed by Law 41/50 based on which at the end of October, 50% of the hotel crew is dismissed, without even being compensated, as well as the 4-month routing of of high-speed aircraft which has brought about significant changes in the work of our colleagues while turning many of them into seasonal seafarers”.

The seafarers used as an argument for the renewal of the SSE and the 12% increase they demanded that everyone is “faced with an unbearable wave of precision in basic living goods, energy, education, health”. While the sailors who work on the high-speed boats “are faced with this monstrosity of the four-monthly routing which serves specific centers and not the passenger public on a yearly basis and our islanders”.

Following all of this, the Executive Committee unanimously decided to send Foreigners to declare a 48-hour nationwide warning strike, with the prospect of escalation, on October 22nd & 23rd on the above categories of ships and to send echelons to all ports, apparently to guard the strike movements. The PNO “demands” the repeal of Law 41/50, the Immediate amendment of the article on the four-month routing of E.G/O.G, High-speed Ships and the imposition of a seven-month mandatory routing.

The seafarers finally ask for the self-evident: the non-approval of itineraries by the Coastal Transport Council and the Minister, in view of the new sailing season, without the strict observance of the Maritime Legislation underlining the safety issues and the protection of human life at sea. “Safe maritime transport cannot be understood without seafarers with structured rights”, concludes the federation’s announcement.