International Shipping Union warns of worsening pilot delays at Piraeus commercial port

The International Shipping Union sent a formal protest to the Ministry of Shipping, highlighting ongoing, extensive delays in pilotage at the commercial port of Piraeus. Despite assurances given a few months earlier, the union says staffing levels at the Pilot Station have not improved and shifts are often covered by only two or three pilots. Data supplied by member firms show that, during a recent 15-day span in October, forty vessels experienced wait times between 1.5 and 8.5 hours.

The union warns that such inefficiencies jeopardise the port’s global standing and increase turnaround times for loading and unloading, sometimes exceeding three hours. It has also urged the creation of a secondary pilot service and a pilot base at the head of Provalet II to reduce idle time, but no response has been received so far.