Seamen suspend their strike: Corfu-Igoumenitsa ferry operating again
strike
04 Nov 2017
/ 17:16
CORFU. Corfu seamen have suspended their strike following the decision of the general assembly this afternoon.
The ferry services Corfu-Igoumenitsa-Paxos-Diapontia will resume at 6am on Sunday morning, according to the union’s announcement: “The strike has been suspended as an indication of goodwill towards the general public and to give the Marine Ministry the time they have requested. However, if we can’t reach an agreement at the coming meetings, the strikes will resume on Thursday 9 November at 6am. The SYRIZA MP for Corfu, Kostas Pavlidis, has pledged to participate in the new negotiations.”
Following the union’s meeting yesterday with the General Secretary of Marine and Island Policies, Dionysos Kalamatianos, the ministry issued an announcement in which Mr Kalamatianos expressed the will of the ministry to seek a solution acceptable to both sides, pointing out the importance it attaches to collective bargaining and to dialogue between all the marine organizations in order to achieve labour satisfaction in the industry.
The necessity for rigorous application of the legislation relating to seamen’s hours and working conditions was emphasised as was the commitment of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Island Policy to the full protection of seamen’s rights. The Port Authorities have been given orders to intensify checks and to proceed immediately with the imposition of effective, proportionate sanctions and deterrents for all offences or irregularities detected.
The general secretary said that they were examining in a positive light the need to staff the canteens in the winter months and that the matter of the ‘open’ and ‘closed’ type ferry boats being docked would also be looked at carefully within the context of the Coastal Transport Council.
Mr Kalamatianos expressed his optimism that the meetings would provide the spark for a constructive dialogue and invited all sides to cooperate in finding solutions for the unsettled issues.
Following the union’s meeting yesterday with the General Secretary of Marine and Island Policies, Dionysos Kalamatianos, the ministry issued an announcement in which Mr Kalamatianos expressed the will of the ministry to seek a solution acceptable to both sides, pointing out the importance it attaches to collective bargaining and to dialogue between all the marine organizations in order to achieve labour satisfaction in the industry.
The necessity for rigorous application of the legislation relating to seamen’s hours and working conditions was emphasised as was the commitment of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Island Policy to the full protection of seamen’s rights. The Port Authorities have been given orders to intensify checks and to proceed immediately with the imposition of effective, proportionate sanctions and deterrents for all offences or irregularities detected.
The general secretary said that they were examining in a positive light the need to staff the canteens in the winter months and that the matter of the ‘open’ and ‘closed’ type ferry boats being docked would also be looked at carefully within the context of the Coastal Transport Council.
Mr Kalamatianos expressed his optimism that the meetings would provide the spark for a constructive dialogue and invited all sides to cooperate in finding solutions for the unsettled issues.
