Ferry workers extend strike through Friday

Ferry boats stayed tied at the country’s ports on Thursday and will continue to do so on Friday, after the union representing Greece’s seamen, PNO, extended a 48-hour strike that had started on Tuesday.

The union also said that it has not ruled out an additional extension over the weekend, which would jeopardize the travel plans of thousands of people ahead of the October 28 national holiday on Monday. It would also leave the islands without essential supplies and islanders with no sea connections to the mainland for an extended period.

In a statement on Wednesday, the leadership of PNO insisted on a meeting with Shipping Minister Christos Stylianidis to discuss the union’s demands, chief among which is the reintroduction of a collective labor agreement for the sector.