SETAK: New Association of Greek High-Speed Ferries, Cruise Ship Owners Formed

The newly formed Association of Greek High Speed Ferries and Cruise Ship Owners (SETAK) last week held its first general assembly and elected its Board of Directors.

The association includes Marios Iliopoulos, the head of Greek high-speed coastal shipping company Seajets; Antonis Agapitos of Alpha Lines; and the Stefanou brothers, Dimitris and Giorgos, of Golden Star Ferries.

According to an announcement, Agapitos is the association’s president of the Board of Directors, which includes Nikolaos Kavallieros (Secretary General) and Konstantinos Antiohos (Treasurer). Members of the association are Iliopoulos and Stefanou (Dimitris). It is noted that Kavallieros will also serve as SETAK’s General Director during the board’s first tenure.

Greek media reports refer to the new association as a “split” from the main body that represents the Greek passenger shipping sector, SEEN (Greek Shipowners Association for Passenger Ships).

The development also triggered a negative reaction by the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO). In an announcement, PNO made it clear that it does not recognize the new association.

“Our federation’s representative for issues involving collective labor agreements and in general the collective issues concerning the sector’s working conditions… is the Greek Shipowners Association for Passenger Ships (SEEN), which represents, according to the law, the entire coastal shipping and tourist vessel sector,” PNO said.