Athens , Greece ( CNN ) -- The Greek capital was tense Thursday after the government ordered truck drivers back to work following a three-day strike . Striking workers threw rocks and plastic bottles at the gates of the transport ministry in the morning , and police used tear gas to disperse the angry crowd . The strike has caused gas stations in Athens to run out of fuel , stranding people around the country just as many Greeks leave for August vacation . Bookings by tourists from neighboring countries were also `` frozen '' because of the strike , the head of the Hellenic Hotels Federation , Andreas Andreadis , said in a television interview Thursday . Thousands of tourists from Russia , Bulgaria , and Serbia , who are traveling by car , remain stranded in northern Greece because of the strike , Andreadis said . See iReport video of trucks blocking highway traffic . Many gas stations have signs saying they are out of fuel , and there are long lines at those stations that still have supplies . 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 having their licenses revoked -- if they do n't . Greece has about 33,000 licensed truck drivers . They went on strike this week to protest government plans to open up their industry and issue new licenses . The government is required to make the changes under the terms of loan packages from the European Union and International Monetary Fund . From Journalist Elinda Labropoulou .
Greece : Many Greeks strike as they prepare to leave for vacation . It is tense after striking truck drivers are called back to work . Their three - day strike has left many gas stations in Athens dry . Workers are striking over plans to open up their industry .