Greek Truck Drivers' Fight Still Goes On
Greek truck drivers have called an indefinite strike which started July 26, in protest of reforms that will liberalize and open up so called "closed professions" like transportation. They blame the government for its failure to consult them over the details of a draft law of the liberalization bill.
This is one of the tough reforms that the socialist government will have to carry out as promised to the European Union and the International Monetary Funds for them to get a EUR110 billion bailout package.
The truck drivers argue that with the passage of the proposed liberalization bill, they fear that within 3 years the expensive vehicle licenses they have acquired from the state will be worthless. Giorgos Tsamos, president of the truckers' union vowed to fight these reforms until the bitter end.
The Ministry of Transport attempted to reconcile the interests of the truckers and the demands of the IMF and EU by insisting on a three-year interim period to phase in the reforms.
The trucking unions were also assured that the value of their licenses will be counted as part of the capital necessary to establish transportation companies. The local sector is fragmented and the reform aims to corporate-ize it so the local economy and end consumer will have cost-savings.
An IMF and EU delegation went to the finance ministry in Athens Monday, and audited progress on reforms such as the liberalization of various local sectors. They have produced an interim report so the debt-laden Greece can draw down a second assistance tranche of EUR9 billion in September.
Now on its second day, the indefinite strike has caused major fuel shortage on 80% of petrol stations. According to the Greek daily Kathimerini newspaper, there are about 35,000 truck drivers taking part in the protest.
Fuel trucks aren't delivering fresh supplies to service stations. And as early as Sunday at some fuel stations around Athens, some drivers who feared the worst have already queued up to fill their tanks to the limit.
Earlier this month, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, the one responsible for cutting wages and pensions and raising taxes to make-ends-meet to receive the EU-IMF loans, said the government had met the targets that would secure a second payment of 9 billion euros by September. Progress are being examined by a team of officials, which include representative from the European Central Bank, that will last up to June 30.
In an interview with the newspaper Kosmos tou Ependiti, Papaconstantinou said, These goals have been achieved and we have moved a step further with the passage of the pension reform. An emailed transcript from the ministry stated, Theres a clear timetable which we will stick to so that none of the next 12 loan installments are endangered.
In addition to that, there were more than 125 delayed flights last Sunday. Air traffic controllers decided to "work to rule"-- where workers do only the minimum required as a form of industrial action. It created problems for domestic passengers and tourists.
Air traffic controllers decision to call for rolling strikes was deemed unlawful by courts on Friday on the reason that it is the height of the tourist season.
The 110-billion-euro (138 billion dollar) economic bailout being offered by the Greece's euro zone partners and by the International Monetary Fund created tough austerity measures and reforms that the country must agree to. Greece's main labor unions have already staged repeated strikes against it since the month of February.
