Hellenic Petroleum workers battling selloff block suitors from refineries

Workers at Hellenic Petroleum on Monday physically prevented suitors eyeing a majority stake in Greece's biggest oil refiner from entering two of its sites in protest at plans to privatize the utility, a union spokesman said.

While privatizations have been a key part of successive bailout agreements Greece has struck since 2010, they have been met with strong political resistance.

Greece still has a series of deals to complete under the terms of its latest bailout which ended last week, including the sale of a 50.1 percent stake in Hellenic jointly held by the state and Paneuropean Oil and Industrial Holdings.

The country's privatization agency has shortlisted Anglo-Swiss Glencore Energy and Switzerland's Vitol Holding for the stake in Hellenic.

Glencore was scheduled to visit Hellenic's refineries in Aspropyrgos and Elefsina, about 12 miles outside Athens,...