Employees of Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) on Sunday launched a 10-day strike that could potentially disrupt the smooth supply of the market with fuel in the coming days, as ANA reported.
The employees at ELPE, which controls three of the four oil refineries in Greece, are striking in demand of ”the safe staffing of the new units that are commencing operation at the ELPE industrial installations in Thessaloniki and Elefsina”.
Market sources told ANA that the problems are not expected to arise immediately, given that there are ample reserves in fuel stations and at the installations of the fuel marketing companies, while supply will be normal from the fourth refinery, that of Motor Oil. Given, however, that ELPE controls three of the country’s four refineries — in Aspropyrgos, Elefsina and Thessaloniki — and more than 60% of the market, the strike could cause fuel shortages, especially if there is a flurry of drivers rushing to fill their tanks, in which case the reserves will dry up earlier, the sources said.
According to a labour union statement issued on March 18th, the company’s workers have demanded wage increases in line with EU inflation, but management rejected their offer. ELPE management has filed a petition in court asking that the strike be declared illegal.
Court: Pending EL.PE strike legal
An Athens first instance court on Monday declined to rule against a pending strike called by the union representing Hellenic Petroleum (EL.PE) employees.
The union has called for a 10-day strike at Greece’s partially state-owned and largest petro-chemical group.
In a statement after the ruling, EL.PE’s management charged that the industrial action aims at the hiring of personnel for the refinery in Thessaloniki and not over the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement.
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