The government has announced that no transision period of 10 years will be given for the changes that will occur in the sector of the lorry drivers, that led to a standstill of all lorries for about 1 week, and led the turist industry to dispair in the end of July, due to lack of gas and halt of almost every commercial activity in most parts of the counrty. The minister said that he will not tolerate any mobilizations, threatening that this will make him change to the worse the law about the transition period of 3 years that he might give. On Tuesday a protest took place, with hundreds of lorries parading in the center of Athens. The syndicalists said that they are preparing for new mobilizations, as the new law will destroy them completely.
UPDATE 8/9 8.00am local time:
According to mainstream media, about 15 lorries parked in the middle of Amalias Avenue in front of the parliament from 6.00 am to 7.00 am local time, causing trafic comfuzium in the center of Athens, protesting for the ‘opening’ of their sector. Now the lorries are parked on Iera Street. The next hours they will decide for the next moves.
Meanwhile, the firing of workers in the private sector is in everyday news.
We remind that this weekend the International Fare of Thessaloniki takes place, which is a target for demonstrators every year. Normally the prime minister goes to Thessaloniki to announce the ‘social policy’ of the governement of the nexy year. Except for the rest of the demonstrators, members of the commitee ‘Stop tolls’ will drive with their cars from every city of greece and have announced that they will not pay to pass from the toll gates. This issue has started last year, when most tolls were privitized and the cost has raised more than 100% in less than a year.
2 Comments
Was a transition period of 10 years given originally as part of the deal to return to work? Has the government gone back on a previous agreement? If this is the case I should imagine the drivers are raging…
Well, it was not originally agreed exactly. We remind that the last strike of the lorry drivers did not end with a compromise, but with civil conscription and repression. The drivers ended the strike, as it had no subject anymore, with the army supplying gas stations and pubic companies. They announced then that the law will not be accepted, without serious changes or transition period. Yesterday another demonstration with lorries took place in Athens (photos here: https//athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1205007). The law is ready, and will be voted in the parliament in the next days/weeks(?). They give a transition period of 3 years, and some other things that might make the drivers accept it easier.
We’ll keep informing, if something changes.
Post a Comment