Greek unions oppose the Crown Iris cruise ship's repair work, citing its alleged ties to the Israel Defense Forces amid ongoing tensions.
Greek labor unions have initiated a protest against the acceptance of the cruise ship Crown Iris, which is alleged to be linked to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), for extensive repair and maintenance work at a Greek shipyard.
The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), based in Athens, has demanded the cancellation of the berth allocation permit granted to the Crown Iris by Greek authorities. The ship is expected to arrive at the Public Power Corporation (PPC) dock located in the Keratsini area of the Port of Piraeus for maintenance and repair work.
According to the WFTU, the Crown Iris, operated by the Israeli cruise company Mano Maritime (Mano Cruise), has been involved in activities connected to the IDF during the Gaza war and the recent Israel-Iran tensions. It is claimed that the ship played a role in transporting hundreds of thousands of Israelis back to the country, particularly through Cyprus.
Following the outbreak of the Iran-Israel war, it has been reported that the Crown Iris participated in the evacuation of foreigners stranded in Israel; in June, it transported over a thousand foreign visitors from Israel's shores to Cyprus and brought back more than 2,000 Israeli citizens on its return trip.
Launched in 1992 and weighing 32,396 gross tons, the ship was initially ordered for Birka Line under the name MS Birka Queen at the Wärtsilä Marine Turku Shipyard in Finland. However, it was completed by Kvaerner Masa-Yards under the name MS Royal Majesty and served Majesty Cruise Line. After changing hands several times, the ship was purchased by Mano Maritime in 2018 and has a capacity of approximately 2,000 passengers.
The Crown Iris operates holiday cruises to destinations such as Cyprus, the Greek islands, France, Croatia, Malta, and Italy from the ports of Haifa and Ashdod. The ship is also familiar with Greek shipyards; in 2019, it underwent extensive renovations at the Halkis Shipyards, where all passenger cabins were refurbished, five new restaurants were added, and new facilities such as a basketball court and water slide were introduced.
However, Israel's recent activities in Gaza have been met with widespread backlash in Greece, making the plans for the Crown Iris to return to Greece for maintenance and repair contentious. The WFTU and the Workers' Militant Front (PAME) have harshly criticized the Piraeus Port Authority/COSCO management for allocating a berth to the ship.
In a statement, the WFTU said, "We demand the immediate withdrawal of the approval for the berth allocation to Crown Iris, the allocation of this area to commercial vessels wishing to undergo extensive repairs, and the designation of the requested areas at the PPC dock in Keratsini for new ship construction."
The federation also stated that they would oppose any repair or maintenance work by the Crown Iris in Greece and called on the Piraeus Regional Union and other unions in the port to be on "militant alert." The statement included a call to refrain from participating in any work that would facilitate the ship's approach to repair docks.
Source: www.denizhaber.com
