Tourists scuffle with striking Greek dockers

Tourists joined in the scuffles as dockers, trying to stop ferries leaving for Greek holiday isles, clashed with port police today as state workers staged a 24 hour strike.

At least two people were slightly injured when about 200 dock workers attempted to prevent passengers and vehicles from boarding ferries bound to Aegean islands from the main port of Piraeus, outside Athens.

Three ferries managed to set sail but were forced to leave without taking all the vehicles waiting to board. Police arrested at least one dock worker.

The strike also affected airports, with 24 domestic flights cancelled and several others delayed after ground crews walked off the job.

State hospitals and ambulance crews were operating with emergency staff, while state-run schools, municipalities, ministries and tax offices remained shut.

Greece’s largest civil servants’ union called the strike to protest proposed government reforms in the social security system.