Ferry Crew Strike Leaves Thousands Stranded on Greek Islands

   September 3, 2018 ,   Cruise Industry

Greek ferry crews on Monday, September 3, decided to extend for at least 1 more day a strike which left tens of thousands of travelers stranded on country's popular island destinations.

PNO crew union announced that ferries will remain confined to cruise port until 6:00 a.m. (0300GMT) on Wednesday. The union revealed it proposed to extend its protest in case its demands for pay rises and tax breaks aren't met.

Ferry companies had said that Monday's strike would affect around 180,000 people who had booked to sail to or from the islands, including many of the most popular Greek destinations such as Crete, Mykonos and Santorini.

Mykonos Island (Greece) cruise port Mykonos Town

Image: Port Mykonos Town (Greece)

Many of the more remote and smaller islands have no air connections with the rest of Greece, and the protracted ferry strike would lead to goods' shortages.

Unions are seeking a 5% pay rise after an 8-year pay freeze because of Greece's debt crisis.