Shipping minister meets with management of Panhellenic Maritime Federation

The major challenges of the maritime profession and labor issues occupied today’s meeting held by the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Miltiadis Varvitsiotis with the administration of the Panhellenic Maritime Federation. The meeting took place at the offices of the Panhellenic Maritime Federation (PNO) in Piraeus.

In his introduction, the general secretary of the PNO, Manolis Tsikalakis, referred to all the claims and actions of the PNO, which should be, if nothing else, the minimum recognition of the State in the daily struggle that seafarers wage to keep maritime connections alive and safe of the country, both nationally and internationally.

He referred to the attraction of young people to the maritime profession, while at the same time he emphasized that the Federation’s unanimous position is the non-application of Regulation 3577/1992 to maritime cabotage in the name of “artificial lack of crews”.

At the same time, he put to the new minister all the fair and mature requests of the Federation, such as the substantial upgrading of the Public Maritime Education and Retraining, as well as the Schools of Lifesaving and Fire Fighting Equipment, while special reference was made to the need to upgrade the administrative services related to Maritime Labor, such as the Directorate of Maritime Records, whose operating framework should finally respond to the daily needs of seafarers with an emphasis on the unemployed.

At the same time, the need to increase the organic compositions was emphasized as of key importance so that they meet the real needs of the ships and ensure the safety as a whole that should distinguish shipping and especially passenger shipping.

At the meeting, the need to sign Collective Labor Agreements in all categories of ships was also raised, as well as their observance, as well as the maritime legislation, through the controls of the services of the Ministry of Shipping and the existence of a system of imposing fines for the violations of they will be a real deterrent to offenders.

In addition, reference was made to the sector’s permanent and perennial requests, such as tax and social security.

The members of the Administration of our Federation were also present at the meeting, who reported to the new minister the special problems of the branches they represent.