New Round of Strikes and Protests in Greece | World News |Axisoflogic.com

A Greek protester holds a flag depicting an image of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara during a protest against pension reforms in Athens, Greece Feb. 13, 2016. | Photo: Reuters

Lawyers, dockworkers, and teachers are all set to engage in job actions.
A series of protests are set to rock Greece beginning Tuesday over the privatization of a key port, as well as proposed pension reforms.

Dockworkers from the Omyle union will begin a 48-hour strike over the sale of 67 percent of Piraeus Port Authority to China’s Cosco.

The privatization of ports was part of the set of conditions agreed to by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' government in exchange for bailout loans.

Tsipras had frozen the privatization of key industries and assets, such as ports, early in his first term before eventually acquiescing to the demands of the Eurozone lenders.

The sale of the Piraeus Port Authority for US$402 million was announced last month. At the time the Greek agency tasked with handling privatizations said it was "a very important milestone." Cosco was the sole bidder.

The Piraeus Port Authority is the largest in Greece and among the busiest in all of Europe.

Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported that court proceedings in the county would also be frozen as a result of job actions Tuesday by Greek bar associations over pension reforms.

Greek agricultural workers held a mass protest against the government’s proposed pension reforms last week.

Elementary and secondary school teachers are also expected to go on strike on Wednesday.

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