- Title: GREECE: LORRY DRIVERS TRAPPED BY SEAMENS STRIKE
- Date: 19th January 1997
- Summary: PATRAS AND PIREAUS, GREECE (JANUARY 19+20, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) PIREAUS (JANUARY 20, 1997) 1. GV/LV SHIPS ANCHORED IN PORT 0.11 2. SLV STATIONARY TRUCKS (2 SHOTS) 0.21 3. SLV DRIVERS STANDING AROUND 0.26 4. LV STRIKING GREEK SEAMEN GATHERED IN FRONT OF SHIPS TO PREVENT ANYONE BOARDING 0.31 5. SLV/LV PARKED TRUCKS (3 SHOTS) 0.45 PATRAS (JANUARY 19, 1997) 6. LV TRUCKS COMING OFF SHIP 0.52 7. SLV TRUCK DRIVER WITH CARGO OF CUCUMBERS HE BELIEVES WILL NOW ROT BECAUSE OF DISPUTE (2 SHOTS) 1.02 8. SCU FRENCH TRUCK DRIVER SAYING "ALL THE FRENCH, GERMAN AND ENGLISH - YOU MUST BUY US SOMETHING TO EAT BECAUSE WE HAVE NOTHING. IT'S NOT GOOD. IT'S NOT RIGHT (ENGLISH) 1.11 9. SLV (NIGHTSHOTS:) BLOCKADE OF PORT BY INTERNATIONAL TRUCK DRIVERS 1.19 10. SLV TRUCK 1.24 11. SLV SCUFFLES BETWEEN TRUCK DRIVERS AND PORT POLICE 1.39 12. SLV TRUCK DRIVERS BEING ARRESTED (3 SHOTS) 2.08 13. SCU ENGLISH TRUCK DRIVER SAYING MANY OF THE DRIVERS HAVE BEEN HERE TEN, TWELVE, THIRTEEN DAYS, MOST HAVE NO MONEY, NO FOOD AND NOBODY'S HELPING THEM. (ENGLISH) 2.18 14. SLV TRUCKS BEING ALLOWED ONTO SHIPS 2.26 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 3rd February 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PATRAS AND PIREAUS, GREECE
- City:
- Country: Greece
- Reuters ID: LVA94YH64QBS679ZO3B4N6JRKMR5
- Story Text: INTRO: Angry local and international lorry drivers have become trapped by a nine-day strike by Greek seamen, with clashes breaking out between the drivers, seamen and police at many ports.
--------------------------------------------------------------- The strike by Greek seamen, affecting all ships with Greek crews, has kept most vessels idle at ports for nine days.
The strike has also trapped scores of trucks full of fresh produce and drivers have complained that their cargoes are rotting.
It is the second time in two months that truck drivers have been the victims of strikes. In December drivers were trapped for weeks when Greek farmers blockaded roads around the country with tractors.
The Panhellenic Seamen's Federation is demanding better pensions, and tighter measures against unemployment due to the use of foreign crews. Seamen have vowed to continue their strike, defying a court decision declaring the walkout illegal.
Tempers have flared, with international drivers complaining of a lack of food and sanitary facilities, and scuffles have broken out with police.
In the port of Patras, international lorry drivers prevented Greek trucks from loading onto a ship on Saturday (January 19).
The drivers angrily proclaimed that only foreign lorries should be allowed to load since they had been detained for so many days.
When port police tried to remove them from ramps scuffles broke out, with police detaining three French drivers and one German.
They were later released and returned to their trucks.
One English truck driver complained that the international drivers had been blocked for up to 13 days.
"Most have no money, no food and nobody's helping them," he said.
High school teachers also joined in strikes on Monday for better pay, while Greece biggest labour confederation has announced a 24-hour walkout for Thursday.
It is the second wave of strikes to hit Greece since the socialist government, which won elections in September, launched a tough economic policy to bring Greece closer to its European Union partners.
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