Ferry service between mainland Greece and its islands is set to shut down on Friday amid a labour dispute between service operators and ferry crews.
Perhaps, the ferry service may not start running again for some time.
A spokesperson for the PNO union told Greek broadcasters on Thursday that the strike would begin at midnight (2200 GMT on Thursday) after pay negotiations between management and union leaders broke down.
The PNO spokesperson said the labour stoppage would shut down all ferry services in the Aegean and Ionian seas.
Ferries fill a vital transport role in Greece.
Many islands have no airport and are completely dependent on ferries for deliveries of food, fuel and medicine, as well as being an important means of getting tourists to the islands. (dpa/NAN).
