Bulgarian Tourists Stranded in Greece over Hauliers Strike

Trucks are lined-up at the side of the national highway outside Athens, Greece, 27 July 2010. Greek truck owners started a strike in protest against a draft bill to open up the road freight market, including that of fuel. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Thousands of tourists from Bulgaria, Russia and Serbia, who are traveling by car, remain stranded in northern Greece because of the lorry drivers strike, officials have said.

“Bookings by tourists from neighboring countries have also been frozen because of the strike,“ the head of the Hellenic Hotels Federation, Andreas Andreadis, said in a television interview Thursday.

The interview came just as the Greek government used a rare emergency order to force lorry drivers back to work after a three-day strike.

The government issued a rare emergency order to the owners and drivers of the trucks to return to work Thursday, saying they face severe penalties - including being stripped of their licenses - if they don't.

The strike has caused gas stations in Athens to run out of fuel, stranding people around the country, including many Greeks who leave for August vacation.

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