The dockworkers of COSCO in Piraeus port held a new Strike on Thursday, April 14 denouncing the tactics of the multinational against the workers’ demands for Collective Contract with substantial wage increases and satisfaction of important issues on working conditions.

The workers held a massive General Assembly at the docks on Wednesday, April 13 where they rejected the proposal of COSCO, for a small increase in salary, as a “joke”.

COSCO filed for a restraining order against the strike calling it illegal, but the workers continued their strike against the intimidation tactics of the multinational. After the success of the strike the union gave a deadline for a new collective bargaining meeting on Monday, where if there is no progress they will go on new strike on April 20.

ENEDEP, COSCO dockers Union stated

“According to the data required for COSCO – SEP Piers II and III -in Piraeus port-, profitability for COSCO increased to $ 31.76 million, from $ 19.45 million, or + 63.3%!

At the same time that COSCO – SEP and DPORT are announcing their huge profits in festive tones, at the same time that the electricity and water are being cut off for many of us. A colleague was cut off from water for 250 euros a few days ago, while another with a salary of 1,100 euros, electricity bill was 1,300 euros with 3 children and a rent of 370 euros, as a result of which he had no money to eat.

With inflation running close to 10%, with oil prices like gold, in these conditions the employer has the audacity to come out and offer crumbs. The increase he proposes to give ranges from 6% to 10%, i.e. in real numbers it is 3-4 euros per day per specialty, in simple words it is the value of a souvlaki and a bottle of water.

They dare to claim that they offer huge increases -8% on average- when the reality is that if they only put the extra payment of night shifts which is 25% with 1/3 of our shifts being night, if they were simply observing the law, we would have a net increase of 8.3%.

No more!

With our massive Assembly, hundreds of colleagues in front of the offices and the eyes of the employers we rejected and returned in the most decisive way the mockery of 3-4 euros per day. With inflation running every month, only increases in gasoline, bread and electricity are multiple of all the “increases” proposed by employers.

After all, that’s why they manage to make so much profits, because they steal our sweat.

Bring us a Collective Contract that ensures our survival and our dignity because we brought the port to the top of Europe and tens of millions to the shareholders of COSCO and DPORT.

We demand:

Collective Contract signing with increases in all specialties.

Include the extra payment for night work, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

To make everyone full-time, to stop the hostage situation of more than 700 employees who are on fixed-term contracts and 16-day part-time jobs, which means half a job – half a life.

Implement the legislation that provides for the integration of all employees in the Heavy and Hazardous Professions”