Greek government holds firm on privatization
Greece will go ahead with plans to privatize its largest commercial ports despite strikes by port workers, according to the country's shipping minister.
The Greek government plans to sell stakes in major ports to strategic investors seeking to 'bolster' investment and make them regional hubs.
“The ports' development is a one-way street,” said Merchant Marine Minister George Voulgarakis after meeting Piraeus city officials.
Workers at Greece's two largest ports, Piraeus and Thessaloniki, went on strike Monday January 7. Another strike was planned for Friday January 11.
“OLP (Piraeus port) is a profitable business. It is the cow that provides us with milk, it cannot be handed over to private or international investors,” said the head of Piraeus port's employees union George Nouhoutides.
Union officials are due to review the situation on January 13 to decide if there will be more strikes.
The latest strikes follow an announcement by Giorgos Voulgarakis that a global tender for operators to run Piraeus and Thessaloniki under a 30-year concession will be launched in the first half of January.
Voulgarakis said the tender would be for management contracts for two of the three container facilities at Piraeus and for the entire container terminal in Thessaloniki.
Voulgarakis added that the tenders could be decided by June.
According to a Hellenic Shipping News report, parties interested in the privatization include DP World, COSCO Pacific, Maersk, Hutchison and ZIM Lines.
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| Another strike due January 11 |
“The ports' development is a one-way street,” said Merchant Marine Minister George Voulgarakis after meeting Piraeus city officials.
Workers at Greece's two largest ports, Piraeus and Thessaloniki, went on strike Monday January 7. Another strike was planned for Friday January 11.
“OLP (Piraeus port) is a profitable business. It is the cow that provides us with milk, it cannot be handed over to private or international investors,” said the head of Piraeus port's employees union George Nouhoutides.
Union officials are due to review the situation on January 13 to decide if there will be more strikes.
The latest strikes follow an announcement by Giorgos Voulgarakis that a global tender for operators to run Piraeus and Thessaloniki under a 30-year concession will be launched in the first half of January.
Voulgarakis said the tender would be for management contracts for two of the three container facilities at Piraeus and for the entire container terminal in Thessaloniki.
Voulgarakis added that the tenders could be decided by June.
According to a Hellenic Shipping News report, parties interested in the privatization include DP World, COSCO Pacific, Maersk, Hutchison and ZIM Lines.
Cowan Thant Zin | Fri Jan 11 07:49 GMT 2008