The executive committee of the Nationwide Seaman Federation (PNO) has decided to extend its strike for a further 48 hours and rejected the request to exempt the three ships chartered with the transportation of refugees from the islands. The new strike comes into effect at 6am on Wednesday. Earlier, members of the federation staged a demonstration outside the central offices of the seamen’s pension fund (NAT).
The government has asked from the federation to either allow the three ships to set sail for their destinations, or alternatively, to allow them to be used to accommodate refugees, who continue to arrive on Greek islands despite the adverse weather conditions.
The request was submitted to PNO by the Alternate Minister of Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas and the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Thodoris Dritsas.
