GREECE | 30.07.2010

Striking truckers clash with police, Greek military to provide fuel relief

Greek truckers walked off the job on Monday

Truckers in Greece continue to defy an emergency back-to-work order from the government. Meanwhile, Greek military trucks and vessels were dispatched Friday to relieve the country's growing fuel shortage.

Greek police clashed with striking truck drivers Friday after they entered their fifth day of demonstrations, defying government orders to return to work.

Police in riot gear hit protestors with batons in the city of Thessaloniki, as the strikers attempted to block a truck from leaving an oil refinery.

Government officials meanwhile announced that military ships and vehicles would begin relieving the country's fuel shortage.

Greece wants to open up the road freight industry

Greece's 33,000 protesting truck and fuel-tanker owners walked off the job on Monday to protest against the creation of new trucking licenses after the government stopped issuing new permits 40 years ago.

Athens says the move will help liberalize the freight sector and open the industry to more competition by September, a key part of the reforms outlined in the 110 billion euro ($144 billion) European Union/International Monetary Fund bailout for the debt-ridden country.

Financial analysts have stressed that opening up Greece's closed professions, which also include architecture and law, is essential to revitalizing the country's economy.

"It is even more imporant than fiscal stabilization because it is the operation of the market which is hindered," said Yannis Stournaras of the Athens-based IOBE think tank.

"When these markets open, GDP will be much higher," he added.

Truckers fight for the value of their permits

Truckers say the plan is unfair to existing operators, who have already paid high start-up fees, in some cases as much as 300,000 euros.

Motorists have been forced to wait at the height of the busy tourist season

Strikers continue to defy the emergency back-to-work order the government issued Thursday citing public health risks from the lack of food, fuel and medicines delivered to retailers.

Outside the transport ministry in Athens, several hundred protesting truckers demanding a meeting with Transport Minister Dimitris Reppas clashed with anti-riot police, who used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Suffering the consequences

The striking truckers risk criminal prosecution and a loss of license for defying the government back-to-work order.

Businesses, meanwhile, report that the strike has already damaged their livelihood and dealt further blows to Greece's image abroad.

"If the situation does not go back to normal on Monday it will be a disaster for tourism but also for imports and exports," said Vassilis Korkidis, chairman of the ESEE trade association.

Author: Martin Kuebler, David Levitz (AP/AFP/Reuters)
Editor: Rob Turner

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