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Civil mobilization of public truck and tank drivers announced the Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou after the inefficient negotiations between the strikers and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure held yesterday. The decision was announced late in the evening and says that blocking the fuel, products and medicines supplies throughout the country is in serious breach of social and economic life and poses serious risks to public health.

Drivers from Larissa, Trikala, Thebes, Evia, Thessaloniki, Yanena and many other country towns arrived by bus to the Transport Ministry in the capital early in the morning. More than 1500 people gathered by 10 am and shouted “Thieves! Thieves!” in front of the Ministry. Their representatives should meet there with the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dimitris Repas several hours later. The protest began to grow, as angry drivers started throwing stones, bottles and rubbish over the fence of the Ministry, then tried to forcibly enter the premises of the Ministry of Transport. Special police units arrived to combat the unrest, dispersing tear gas to move the crowd away.

Drivers of trucks and tanks for the public are adamant they will not retreat from their claims on the government to repeal the bill for the liberalization of the market and most are unwilling to fulfill the government decision to forcibly return to work.

“Things are very simple - if the government wants civil mobilization it can take the tanks, call the army and start working. We will not come back behind the wheel,” said the Union leader George Dzhordzhatos in the morning block of the Greek private TV station Skai. A little later, the president of the fuel truck union Giorgos Tsamos took a step back and said that if he acquaints with the civil mobilization summons he will return to work. So, it is clear that strikers are starting to split into two groups – those who are ready to go to extremes and some who prefer a peaceful solution.

According to Yiannis Kukiadis – professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Thessaloniki, if summoned to civilian mobilization did not obey, the State may impose an appropriate penalty, which is withdrawal of license and even arrest. According to the information released in the media, lists with the names of the summoned were sent to all municipalities in the country. They will not be handed until the outcome of the extraordinary meeting of the strikers and representatives of the ministry is clear.