Greek dock workers protest ports sale

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek dock workers walked out in protest at the planned privatizations of the country's two biggest ports, a condition of a multibillion euro bailout from international lenders.

Setting a date to submit binding bids for Piraeus and Thessaloniki ports is one of the actions that Athens needs to conclude its first bailout review and unlock more funds for its 86 billion euro bailout.

Shipping ministry officials said the industrial action did not appear to be disrupting traffic at the ports. A statement from the dock workers' labor union vowed to avert privatizations and accused the government of attempting to sell out to "foreign-owned monopolies."

"Ports should be developed by utilizing own capital, through credit facilities and tapping European Union funds," it said. Mission chiefs of lenders are in Athens to assess compliance with bailout terms.

China's Cosco Group, Danish container terminal operator APM Terminals and Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services, which were shortlisted in an expression of interest process, have until Oct. 30 to submit binding bids for a 51 percent stake in OLP.

But Greek government officials told Reuters this month that snap parliamentary elections on Sept. 20 had held up work and the deadline would be pushed back by about 20 days.

Greece would also push back the deadline for submission of binding bids for Thessaloniki port to the end of March from early February, the head of the country's privatization agency said last weekend.