Summary The strike, which began on Wednesday, will continue until Sunday, PNO said
ATHENS: (AFP) - Greek sailors will continue to strike over a disputed pension reform, their union said Friday, leaving thousands of migrants stranded as they seek to continue their journey from the Aegean islands to the mainland.
The strike, which began on Wednesday, will continue until Sunday, PNO said.
"Nearly 4,500 refugees are currently on the island of Lesbos and cannot take the boat" to Athens, said Spyros Galinos, mayor of Lesbos island.
On average, more than 1,900 people have arrived each day this month on Greek islands on unseaworthy boats from Turkey, according to the UN, which put the total of new arrivals in January at more than 50,000.
More than 31,000 people have been registered on Lesbos during that time, the UN added.
Most migrants reaching the Greek islands from Turkey s shores take the boat up to Athens and then the bus to the Greek-Macedonian border.
They then continue their journey up to European countries like Germany and Sweden through the western Balkans.
The sailors strike is against a pension reform planned by the embattled government of leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Greece must save 1.8 billion euros from state spending on pensions under a three-year bailout signed with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF in July.
Greek unions have announced a general strike -- the third in as many months -- on February 4 over the reforms.
