Greek ferry strike called off, for now

The Greek seamen’s union (PNO) “temporarily” suspended its strike on Saturday, in anticipation that the government will stick to its pledge not to hike taxes in their sector.

The strike, which had been scheduled to end on Sunday, was cut short after a meeting on Saturday of the union’s executive council which, however, said that it remains “cautious” as it awaits tangible evidence the Merchant Marine Ministry will come through on its promise.

Merchant Marine Minister Panayiotis Kouroublis lauded the strike’s suspension, saying that the demands made by strikers had been “met in full from the very first moment.”

The seamen’s strike had caused severe disruptions, incuding the cancellation of ferry sailings to and from the islands, leading two ferry companies on Zakynthos to break the strike, while farmers on Naxos used fishing boats to transport goods to nearby islands.