“The strike continues!” stated the carriers in Greece after the meeting of the owners of trucks and tanks to the public. Immediately after taking the decision, they went on impromptu demonstration from Kareyskaki Square in the center of the city to the Parliament to announce their decision to the National Assembly and submit a petition with their requests. Strikers swept central streets of the city, shouting “We will not surrender! We will stand up against the thieves!” in their march toward the Parliament. Police had to urgently block the main streets of Athens to prevent traffic chaos in the capital. The shops on Agios Konstantinos Blvd., Stadiu and the streets the demonstration goes along began to close for fear of a accidents. The procession blocked the whole center of Athens.
Police began handing out civil mobilization summons to public truck and tank drivers while protesting unions discuss on whether to end the strike. After the yesterday tension, which resulted in five-hour ineffective negotiations with the Minister of Transport Dimitris Repas and several journalists beaten by drivers, it's time to consider. Strikers will discuss the proposals of the government to compensate drivers’ costs for the license purchase through tax incentives in the next three years and grant one free license per tanker/truck to all who will suffer from the liberalization of the transport market.
Both proposals were initially rejected. In tank drivers’ opinion the second free license will not help them cover the cost for the first license. This would only lead to additional costs for bank loans for new cars and freight trucks. Compensation through tax incentives to the amount of the license also do not seem attractive because they do not believe the government will fulfill its promise. Strikers are not inclined to discuss any medium options other than the government to withdraw its proposal for reducing the limit of the number of transport licenses in the country. Government, on its part, presented by the Minister of Transport Dimitris Repas, stated clearly that it will not make any changes to the draft law on the liberalization of the domestic market, which includes transport services. Reliable sources from the ministry said the IMF, the EC and the ECB mission has insisted the government not to respond to requests and not to make any changes to the bill, which is in compliance with the memorandum agreements on the financial rescue of Greece.
It will be clear in the afternoon whether the owners of trucks and tanks to the public would end the strike. It remains effective until then as trucks and tanks are still parked along the ring road of Athens. Strikers continue to stop trucks on the road, involving the drivers in their demands. “They stopped me on the ring road, at Metamorfosis district” said an international truck driver for GRReporter. He explained that recent changes in the law do not affect international carriage and it makes no sense to participate in the protest. “The truck is not mine, I work for a company. However, they forced me to stop and I had to leave the truck on the road in the night between Wednesday and Thursday,” explained the driver.
The six-day strike of freight carriers caused serious problems in Greece. Compote producing factories in northern Greece did not work all week due to lack of fuel. As a result, 50 tons of peaches will rot in the warehouses of the factories, because refrigerators are full already. According to the producers if there is no immediate solution their customers will withdraw the orders for the next season, and 1500 employees will have no work.
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