Dock workers at Greece's largest port Piraeus (OLP) suspended a strike against a deal with China's Cosco Pacific (CPL) on Wednesday, after getting assurances that jobs were not at risk.
Piraeus dockworkers have staged a series of rolling strikes since Oct. 1, the day CPL, the world's fifth-largest port operator, was to start running the cargo facility at the port. They feared the Chinese port operator would cut jobs.
'We decided the suspension of our labour action as of Nov. 11,' the dock workers' union said in a statement.
OLP's new CEO George Anomeritis met with the union on Tuesday, pledging to start negotiations with Cosco over the 35-year concession to safeguard dockworker jobs and urged the union to keep the port open.
Thousands of containers have piled up at the port, while ships with tonnes of merchandise on board have gone elsewhere to unload.
On Tuesday a Greek court ruled the walkout illegal after the chamber of commerce of Messinia, a region on the Peloponnese peninsula known for its olives, brought the case to court saying the strike was hurting exports.
Piraeus dockworkers have staged a series of rolling strikes since Oct. 1, the day CPL, the world's fifth-largest port operator, was to start running the cargo facility at the port. They feared the Chinese port operator would cut jobs.
'We decided the suspension of our labour action as of Nov. 11,' the dock workers' union said in a statement.
OLP's new CEO George Anomeritis met with the union on Tuesday, pledging to start negotiations with Cosco over the 35-year concession to safeguard dockworker jobs and urged the union to keep the port open.
Thousands of containers have piled up at the port, while ships with tonnes of merchandise on board have gone elsewhere to unload.
On Tuesday a Greek court ruled the walkout illegal after the chamber of commerce of Messinia, a region on the Peloponnese peninsula known for its olives, brought the case to court saying the strike was hurting exports.