Greek seafarers dock all ferries May 1

Greece’s Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation said all ferries and other vessel categories will remain docked nationwide on Friday, May 1, during a 24-hour May Day strike. (ekathimerini.com) (gtp.gr) The federation said the strike will start at 00:01 on Friday and end at 24:00 the same day. It said the action covers all categories of vessels. (tovima.com) (ekathimerini.com) The union said it is pressing demands on collective labor agreements, working conditions and trade-union rights, and it also cited safety at sea. (gtp.gr) (tovima.com) The ferry stoppage lands at the start of Greece’s early May travel period, when island routes begin picking up with holiday and tourism traffic. Carriers have already posted revised sailings around the shutdown. (bluestarferries.com) (gtp.gr) Blue Star Ferries said some services were moved to Thursday, April 30, including departures originally scheduled for Friday morning. Its advisory said no ticket change was required for at least some shifted trips. (bluestarferries.com) The May Day disruption extends beyond ports. eKathimerini and ProtoThema said Athens buses and trolleybuses will run from 09:00 to 21:00, while metro services will run from 09:00 to 23:00. (ekathimerini.com) (protothema.gr) Line 1 of the Athens-Piraeus electric railway, trains and suburban rail services are set to stop for the full day, according to transport-union announcements cited by Greek media. Labor rallies are also expected in central Athens. (ekathimerini.com) (protothema.gr) For travelers, the practical effect is simple: Friday, May 1, is not a normal ferry day in Greece, and even mainland connections to ports will run on reduced or strike schedules. The next workable departures depend on each operator’s revised timetable. (ekathimerini.com) (bluestarferries.com)