Strike in Chinese COSCO-run Greek dock: union

A rare strike was called on Friday at the container terminal at the main port of Piraeus run by Chinese shipping giant COSCO, a union official said. "A strike has been called until Monday by around 150 dock workers," George Georgakopoulos, head of the federation of Greek port employees (Omyle) told AFP. The strike was called in demand of back pay and improved labour conditions, Georgakopoulos added, noting that COSCO staff were not allowed to unionise and that employment rules on the dock were unclear.
"Wage agreements are kept private, but we've been told of 35-euro salaries, far below what container crane operators should earn," the union head said. "It's also unclear what the work schedule is, people are called in via cellphone messages," he said. In 2008, as Greece plunged into a deep debt crisis, COSCO signed a 35-year concession to expand the two main container terminals at Piraeus.