Greek fuel truckers continue strike, supplies dry up

ATHENS, May 12 (Reuters) - Greece's fuel truckers on Monday decided to extend a strike that has cut petrol supplies, causing queues at filling stations and transport disruptions that threaten to bring the economy to a halt.

The strike has already lasted a week, leaving about three quarters of Greece's petrol stations without fuel for the fourth consecutive day.

Talks between unions and the government have failed to reach agreement so far. Fuel truck drivers want a 13 percent increase in their commission.

"The strike will continue at least until tomorrow. We will continue our efforts," said Yannis Alexopoulos, vice president of the fuel truckers union. "There is a positive climate in our talks with the government but our demands have not been met."

Throughout the country, Greeks scrambled for gasoline at stations that had been refuelled by some 180 independent fuel truck operators who were not on strike.

Some queues stretched more than 2 km and drivers were putting up with long waits, often without even filling their cars up as petrol stations rationed fuel, setting a limit of 20 euros to serve more cars.

"Only 300 filling stations in Athens out of 1,200 have petrol supplies and these do not last more than a few hours due to strong demand," the head of gas station owners union Michalis Kioussis told Reuters.

Lack of fuel forced some passenger ferries, servicing the Aegean islands, to stay docked at the port of Piraeus. From fishermen in the island of Kalymnos watching their catch rot to car rental firms in Crete losing business, the strike was being increasingly felt across the economy.

"The business community is feeling anger and indignation, hit by consecutive strikes since the start of the year," said Constantine Michalos, president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Trade.

"First we have had port workers, then the electricity utility followed by the Bank of Greece. It is enough to threaten the economy with a shock," he said. (Reporting by George Georgiopoulos and Renee Maltezou)