Taxi drivers block Crete, Corfu ports and airports

Greek taxi drivers blocked ports and airports on the popular tourist islands of Crete and Corfu on Thursday, in a strike to protest against government plans to open up their trade to competition.

Taxi drivers, fighting deregulation in their industry -- one of 135 professions targeted by Greece to meet EU and IMF bailout conditions, disrupted tourists for the fourth day, as EU leaders gathered in Brussels for a summit on the debt crisis.

Tourism makes up 16 percent of Greece's GDP and the government had projected a 10 percent hike in tourism revenues after two years marred by anti-austerity strikes and protests.

In Crete, a top tourist destination, taxis blocked access to ports and both Heraklion and Chania airports, as well as blocking tourist coaches from picking up cruise ship passengers from two cruise ships on a stop-off in Heraklion port. No flights are affected but taxis are not allowing buses and cars into the airport, passengers are being forced to walk from the airport outskirts.

Reuters
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