CROATIA/SLOVENIA: Trucks wait for up to 23 hours to cross Croatia-Slovenia border as protest continues

Record ID: 340135

  • Title: CROATIA/SLOVENIA: Trucks wait for up to 23 hours to cross Croatia-Slovenia border as protest continues
  • Date: 30th September 2010
  • Summary: MACELJ, CROATIA (SEPTEMBER 29, 2010) (REUTERS) TRUCKS QUEUING ON HIGHWAY, CARS PASSING BY POLICEMAN TALKING TO A TRUCK DRIVER INSIDE TRUCK, TRUCK MOVING TRAFFIC SIGN ON HIGHWAY FLASHING, READING: "LIMIT 60 (KM PER HOUR") TRAFFIC DELAY POLICEMAN WALKING ON HIGHWAY, CARS PASSING BY GRUSKOVJE, SLOVENIA (SEPTEMBER 29, 2010) (REUTERS) LINE OF TRUCKS ON ROAD, BILLBOARD WI
  • Embargoed: 15th October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVAEYI2MU7MUF8DVW2V2ZYA1V2CI
  • Story Text: Trucks trying to cross the Croatia-Slovenia border were waiting for up to twenty three hours on Wednesday (September 29) as Slovenian border police and customs officers continued their protest over a planned wage freeze.
    Truck queues on both sides of Gruskovje-Macelj border was seven kilometres long on Wednesday afternoon.
    About a half of Slovenia's public sector, some 80,000 employees, went on strike on Monday (September 27) against the government plan to freeze public sector wages by the end of 2011. But as key public sector workers such as police and customs officers are not allowed to strike, they embarked on a "work to rule" regime instead. At the border this meant carrying out more thorough checks of vehicles.
    "I am driving to Poland and I am already 24 hours late," truck driver Zeljko Tavra from neighbouring Bosnia -Herzegovina told Reuters Television at the Croatian side of the border.
    He still had to go through a lengthy customs control procedure on the Slovenian side.
    Turkish truck driver Jamil Magyuar is on his way to Germany.
    "We've been in the queue for 23 hours now. No drink, no food, no sleep. A big problem," he said.
    Unions say the industrial action will last until the government abandons its wage-freeze plan.
    The President of Slovenia's police union Branko Prah said the protest was having an impact.
    "Waiting time for trucks is some six hours on the Slovenian side of the border, total waiting time can be up to 30 hours. I don't think we can impose any tougher measures as far as border controls go, but there are some other areas where we can further challenge the government if it continues to disregard us," he said.
    The 22 public sector trade unions that are on strike are demanding that the government raise wages by 3.5 percent from October, in line with an agreement reached with the previous government in 2008.
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