The workers had been welding inside the tanker hold of a vessel when an explosion killed them. The ship's captain, three managers from the maintenance company, and the company chemist had all signed permits authorizing the welding. The permits specified that the area was free of gases. These five were subsequently arrested and charged with manslaughter.

The General Confederation of Greek Workers, the Piraeus Labor Center, and the Unions of Workers in the Shipyard Zone have charged that contractors are operating "in the zone and obtaining work permits without proper tests."

Another walkout occurred October 25 when more than 400 Metro workers struck for contracts and wage structures to be implemented as of January 2002 rather than June 2002 as the company planned. The workers are demanding uniform wage packages, hiring to fill empty positions, and better regulation of work schedules. They currently work 10–12 hours a day.

With the downturn in travel, the airline companies have been pushing for major concessions here as well. Swissport, a division of Swiss Air in Greece, "came at us with a series of concessionary proposals," Maria Plessa told the Militant. "They demanded 30 layoffs of permanent workers and the termination of all 20 temporary workers. They also demanded that 200 workers be put on four-hour contracts and 300 on six-hour contracts. Right now all 500 of us are on full-time eight-hour contracts." Plessa works for Swissport at the Athens International Airport.

"Some of the workers were intimidated into accepting the idea that we needed to accept concessions in order to save our jobs," she said. "However among baggage handlers and the ramp the feeling was strongly for rejecting the company demands." At the union meeting, which was attended by more than 500 members, the vote was overwhelming against a revised proposal from the union officials to accept four-hour contracts for five months in order to help the company.

"This too was rejected," Plessa said, "and instead a proposal to accept seven-hour contracts on a temporary basis was passed. This has since been rejected by the company."

Swissport is the largest air transport company here, outside of Olympic Airways, the state carrier. Workers at British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, and other airlines have all rejected company concession demands for now, report workers at the airport.  
 
 
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