GREECE: Hundreds of parked trucks form line snaking for miles along Athens highway as drivers refuse to return to work despite court ruling

Record ID: 340345

  • Title: GREECE: Hundreds of parked trucks form line snaking for miles along Athens highway as drivers refuse to return to work despite court ruling
  • Date: 14th September 2010
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 13, 2010) (REUTERS) OVERHEAD VIEW OF TRUCKS LINING BOTH SIDES OF HIGHWAY FOR SEVERAL KILOMETRES OVERHEAD VIEW OF MORE OF TRUCKS PARKED-UP ALONG HIGHWAY TRUCKS DOUBLE-PARKED DRIVERS STANDING TOGETHER ON HIGHWAY TRAFFIC BACKED-UP ALONG HIGHWAY, WITH TRUCKS ON SIDE OF ROAD VARIOUS OF TRUCKS STRETCHING FOR KILOMETRES VARIOUS OF TRUCKS HONKING
  • Embargoed: 29th September 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Employment,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAB7VQ0JPS374RG6FDLFP3JJK9Y
  • Story Text: More than 800 trucks lined an Athens highway on Monday (September 13), with more arriving, as the drivers refused to get back behind the wheel while insisting they were not defying a court order ruling strike action illegal.
    Truckers are at odds with the government over a plan to liberalize their profession, and during the summer 33,000 truck drivers went on strike for six days to protest the government's plans, cutting off the supply of petrol and creating shortages around the country in the middle of the tourist season.
    The drivers ended their strike after it was ruled illegal by the courts and the government ordered them back to work, threatening to strip them of their licenses and prosecute them if they did not go back to the wheel within 24 hours.
    The drivers are calling their latest action a 'stay-away work stoppage', not a strike, as legally, the court and government's rulings still stand and truck drivers cannot strike.
    The drivers said they would remain on the highway, without blocking the road, but were causing traffic problems for other drivers. Police stifled attempts by the truckers to drive to parliament in the centre of the capital.
    Transport ministry officials said there was no shortage of fuel supplies in the country and petrol was being distributed by private companies.
    Motorists, panicked over an announcement by the drivers that they will stage an indefinite work stoppage, rushed to stations early on Monday (September 13) to fill up.
    Their last strike did not have the support of much of the public due to the disruption it caused.
    The liberalizing of their sector is part of economic reforms required by a multi-billion euro EU/IMF bailout plan. The plan will cut the price of licenses to own and operate lorries, to make the debt-laden economy more competitive.
    Road freight is one of the most closed professions in Greece with no new licenses issued for nearly 40 years. Those in circulation are sold from person to person for hundreds of thousands of euros.
    The drivers staged a protest at the weekend in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where the prime minister was attending an international trade fair.
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