The Greek Seamen Federation (PNO) decided to extend its strike until 06:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 11th 2016. Minister for Maritime, Panagiotis Kouroublis, reassured the strikers that there will be no change in the taxation of the seamen neither in 2016, nor in 2017 and 2018 – however without success. Also Finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos said in the Parliament that the budgets for 2017 and 2018 will not contain tax increases for the seamen.” Tsakalotos was not successful in convincing the strikers either.
The general secretary of PNO told media that the strike will continue until there is a written assurance-commitment by the finance minister.
Thursday night, a statement uploaded on the website of the finance ministry said that “the government does not intend to equalize the taxation of the seamen with the one of the other employees.”
The PNO responded with an angry statement accusing the government of “misleading the public opinion.”
All kinds of ferries and ships have been docked at the ports since Friday, December 2nd, leading to shortages on the islands and driving farmers in outrage as they cannot send their products to the mainland or abroad.
Reports from Crete and the Ionian islands speak of shortages in basic items like food, animal feeds, milk and even clothes.
Crete has been cut-off from the mainland with the effect that several supermarkets have run out of supplies.
Empty shelves in supermarket in Heraklion via Cretapost.gr
The biggest shortages concern mainly ‘fresh refrigerated products’ and ‘beef meat’ that is supplied to Crete from other regions on the mainland.
According to Limnosreport.gr, the funeral of a granny had to take place without the traditional flower wreaths, with the island florist telling to the mourning relatives and friends ‘there is not a single flower on the island, as there has been no ship for a week.”
Strike breakers
Ionian Sea
Friday morning, a group of seamen broke the strike and a ferry left at 5:00 a.m. the port of Zakynthos to provide the island with essential goods.The company said in a statement “we respect the seamen struggle, but the needs on the island” come first.
Another ferry is expected to sail between Kefalonia and Kyllini for the same purpose.
Cyclades
On the island of Naxos, farmers and animal breeders decided to hire small local boats and provide the neighboring islands with their products (mainly dairy) as supermarkets have run out of supplies.
Absolutely ridiculous now as were stuck igoumenitsa and my kids are in corfu. Family and friends in corfu running out of essential supplies
Now if Erdogan would be smart he would supply the islands…Imagine the kind of cascade of trouble that would cause….