There will be no ferry services to the Greek islands starting one minute past midnight on Nov. 20 after the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) announced this week that it would be participating in the nationwide 24-hour strike.
The PNO is joining the 24-hour general strike announced by the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) which mostly represents private sector employees.
Ferries will resume services 24 hours later at midnight on Nov. 21.
The union is calling for actions to address the housing and cost of living crisis, “fair” collective labor laws to cover benefits and overtime compensation, and legislation ensuring safety of ships, passengers and crew. “Greek Seafarers, due to the particularity of their maritime profession, are among the first to be impacted because they usually work five to six months a year to support their families for the whole year,” said the federation in a statement.
The Greek federation of public sector employees, ADEDY has also called on all unions to participate in the strike. Teachers’ unions including the Federation of Private Educators of Greece (OIELE) have also announced participation in the strike with schools across Greece remaining closed on the day.
Public transport is also expected to be affected by the strike though no official announcements have been made. During strike actions, public transport in Greece, which includes buses, the metro and trains (ISAP), usually operates with skeleton staff and hold work stoppages.
