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Drivers of trucks and tanks start the next indefinite strike today. Nearly 32,000 vehicles will park in the big cities and their drivers and owners will throw their keys as a sign of protest in the Ministry of Transport and regional administrations. Currently trucks and tanks are blocking the exits of the Skaramanga shipyard and the highway to Corinth at the refinery in Elevsina. More heavy vehicles are coming to the industrial suburb Metamorfosis. Their drivers will demonstrate in front of the Greek Parliament at noon, submitting a note of protest.

This is the second strike within two months. The same protest in July ended with the mobilization of drivers. The mobilization is still in force.

This time, however, public opinion is not on the side of the protesters as their claims are considered client politics and detrimental to ordinary taxpayers. They turned the people more against themselves when the members of their union attacked the president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce Konstantinos Mihalos in Thessaloniki with wooden sticks, hidden under banners. Mihalos escaped the beating thanks to his perfect sprint and rapid intervention of the police that dispersed unionists using chemicals.  

Drivers of trucks and tanks protest against the government's plan to liberalize the labour market in their branch. Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications approved and submitted to parliament a bill introducing market principles in this industry too. “Society is not to be blackmailed. If drivers start blockades and strikes, I would repeal the three-year transition period and will liberalize the market immediately,” warned the Minister Dimitris Repas.

The news of the drivers’ strike made many Athenians to go immediately to the gas stations to fuel their cars. Although the gas stations in large cities do not work on Sunday, they were opened yesterday and sold fuel. There was bustle without long queues around them. Their owners stated that they will not allow citizens to become hostage to client politics. They also said that if the protest lasts for a long time they are ready to carry gasoline from the refineries with their own tanks.

By decision of the Ministry of Development and Energy the maximum price of unleaded petrol in Athens and Thessaloniki is 1.473 euros per liter as of today. The measure is taken to prevent fuel speculation and will be valid for 7 days.