The PEMEN, STEFENSON, PEEMAGEN, class maritime unions members of PAME and WFTU are organizing National Strike of Maritime workers all over Greece on July 3 demanding the signing of a Collective Contract with increases in wages and improvements in working conditions. The Unions note in their Press Release:
“Shipowners take advantage of the anti-workers’ policy of the SYRIZA government, the support of ND, KINAL / PASOK and other parties that serve the capital. There are big cuts in wages, in pensions by 50%, dissolution of mariners’ insurance funds.
With huge audacity the Association of Passenger Ship Owners (SEEN) set as a condition for the signing of Collective Contract with a 2% wage increase for 2019, the further intensification of the work maritime workers, under sweatshop conditions, crew compositions based on Law 4150/2013 with inhumane work hours of 14-16 hours of work per day, even endangering the safety of human life at sea, in order to increase the profits of shipowners’ capital.
We call on the maritime workers of all professions; we must take on our hands the organization and participation in the strike, to send a message of resistance to the shipowners’ provocations and a warning to any government formed after 7 July that struggle will continue for our rights on the basis of our modern needs.
We fight for:
Renewal and application of Collective Contract to all categories of ships
Increases in wages, in pensions and social benefits.
Permanent stable work for all, with Collective Agreement, 7 hours – 5 days – 35 hours, social security, job protection against unemployment.
Repeal of Law 4150/2013, Organic Composition to be established on the basis of Presidential Decree 177/74 and modern needs, to establish double crews where the voyages of ships do not provide the required minimum rest hours for crews.
Cancel all antiworkers’ social security laws.
No house auctions. Abolition of anti-peoples’ taxes”
We call on the Transport Trade Unions, all the militant trade unions to express their solidarity in the great class strike of maritime workers of Greece
