After the Panhellenic Union of Merchant Navy Seamen (PENEN), their participation in the 24-hour strike of Friday, July 3 was also announced by the Panhellenic Union of Merchant Navy Engineers (PEMEN), as well as the Panhellenic Union of Lower Engine Crews E.N. “O STEFENSON”.
The strike on passenger-vehicle ferries serving the port of Rafina will begin at 06:01 in the morning on Friday and will be completed at 06:00 in the morning on Saturday, July 4, while a strike rally is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. outside the /G “SUPER FERRY”.
The seamen’s unions argue that the situation at the port of Rafina has exceeded every safety limit, noting that the existing port infrastructure is unable to serve the current number of scheduled ships.
As they state, the port has only five berths, while up to eleven ships are served daily, which, in their opinion, creates serious risks for seamen, passengers, and residents of the area.
Special mention is made of the practice of ships remaining outside the port, in sea areas which, according to the unions, are not designated anchorages, resulting in increased risks for the safety of navigation. At the same time, they argue that this situation leads to exhausting work schedules, exceeding the prescribed rest hours, and exhaustion of the crews.
The unions attribute responsibility to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the competent authorities, speaking of a lack of substantial planning and inadequate infrastructure, while emphasizing that the congestion at the port also burdens the road network of the area, with fuel tankers passing through the urban fabric and creating, as they state, additional risks for the local community.
At the same time, they point out that the situation becomes even more critical in view of the fire prevention season, as, they argue, there are no sufficient and safe escape routes in case of emergency.
In their announcement, PEMEN and STEFENSON speak of intense competition among the coastal shipping companies FAST FERRIES, GOLDEN STAR FERRIES, and SEAJETS for increasing their share in the coastal shipping market of Rafina, stressing that the seamen “will not pay for the competitions of the shipowners”.
The two unions also criticize the majority of the PNO administration, arguing that it has not taken a position on the issues that have arisen at the port of Rafina.
Among the key demands they put forward are the increase of crew complements so that the rest hours of the crews are observed, the creation of a safe anchorage with a ship rotation system under the responsibility of the competent authorities, as well as the upgrade of port infrastructure, with the immediate placement of an auxiliary tugboat at the port of Rafina.
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