Greek ferry strike leaves thousands of travelers stranded

Thousands of travelers have been stranded on Greece’s islands due to a strike by ferry crews seeking higher pay and tax breaks.

The main PNO crew union is meeting to decide whether to extend the one-day strike, which will normally run until early Tuesday.

Ferry companies have said that the strike would affect about 180,000 people who had booked to travel to or from the islands, which include many of Greece’s most popular tourist destinations such as Mykonos, Santorini and Crete.

Many islands have no air connections with the rest of the country.

Unions are seeking a 5 percent pay rise after an eight-year pay freeze due to the country’s debt crisis. Employers are offering 1 percent.

Tourism is a key earner in Greece, with record arrivals expected this year. [AP]