The strike proclaimed today has reached the fourth day by PENEN, the Panhellenic Union of Navy Seafarers merchant ship, which yesterday decided to continue for another 24 hours the mobilization, which will end at six o'clock tomorrow. The strike, which was declared illegal by the courts caused the ferries to stop in the port of Patras Superfast I, II, IV and XI of the group Attica used on routes with Italy employing crews Greeks. The Greek shipowner group announced that will take actions required by law to prosecute criminally and civilly PENEN, while the union has specified whereas the decision to continue the protest action was taken after the refusal and the intransigent position in providing responses to PENEN's claims by SEEN, the Greek association representing shipping companies that operate in the passenger transport sector, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maritime Activities and Island Policy. In addition PENEN condemned what it called a repression and persecution organized by shipowners and the government which led to the arrest of strikers. The union has launched Manolis Tsikalakis, Secretary General of the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO), a trade union federation to which PENEN itself adheres, which - according to PENEN - would have demonstrated to be once again at the service of shipowners.

For its part, the shipowners' association SEEN recalled that have signed with the PNO, to which PENEN is associated, a two-year collective labour agreement, being implemented and in force since last January 1, in which, among other things, it is An overall wage increase of +5% has been agreed for the 2025, in addition to the +11% increases granted to Greek seafarers in the previous two years. SEEN underlined that the total indifference to court decisions on the part of some trade unionists represents a direct affront to the rule of law and A hard blow to the institutional stability of work maritime and ships flying the Greek flag, and announced that it was have informed the competent authorities so that they can legal action can be initiated.

The mutual exchange of vitriolic accusations does not spare the two trade unions, with Manolis Tsikalakis and the entire who defined the protest action as a work of bad taste directed by the SEEN association together with the president of PENEN, Antonis Dalakogiorgos, and aimed at oust Greek seafarers as soon as possible by Greek-flagged ships operating in the Adriatic. Serious in particular, the accusation made by the PNO to PENEN of having had contacts with the managers of the shipping company Minoan Lines of the Italian group Grimaldi that would have led to a change in the of the itineraries of the Minoan Kydon Palace , which flies the Greek flag, and not to conduct actions against other ships of the group flying the Italian flag which - observed PNO - are operating normally while only ships flying the flag of remain stationary in the port of Patras. In its vehement denounces the PNO board has specified that it believes responsible for this situation, as well as above all the Secretary General of PENEN, SEEN and the shipowners' group Greek Attica, with the latter not being clear what it is accused since he is protesting for his ships to be restored to leave the port of Patras and denounced that the conduct of PENEN, ignoring the legislation and the decisions of the Greek judiciary, is causing damage incalculable effects on the Greek economy and on Attica Holdings itself.