Greek Civil Aviation Workers To Strike

Greek civil aviation workers plan a five-day strike next week in protest at the long-term lease of 14 regional airports.

Authorities agreed to lease the airports to German operator Fraport last year and are now considering offering concessions for 23 others.

The walkout, called by civil aviation workers union OSYPA from June 20 to June 25, is expected to disrupt domestic and international flights as airports will operate with emergency staff only.

Privatisations have been a key element of the three international bailouts Greece has received since 2010, but they have reaped very limited revenues due to political resistance, bureaucracy and opposition by unions.

The EUR€1.2 billion (USD$1.35 billion) deal with Fraport and its Greek partner, energy group Copelouzos, covers the operation of 14 provincial airports in popular tourist islands including Corfu and Santorini.

The German firm is expected to start operating those airports by the end of this year, once it gets pending approvals and technical issues are ironed out.

Privatisation agency HRADF published an invitation on Monday to hire an advisor to work out whether another 23 regional airports can be further developed.

OSYPA is concerned that such a move would result in job losses, further hurting an already struggling economy.

"The privatisation agency proceeds with the sell-off of the remaining… regional airports aiming, as its charter stipulates, to shut the ones that will not be sold," the union, which represents about 1,200 workers, said in a statement.

"We really wonder whether politicians and local communities have realised what the closure(s)… will mean."

HRADF said the invitation is just part of a preparation process before the 23 airports are transferred to the new fund in September.