Greek truck drivers defy government

[Hannah Bell]

The indefinite strike began on Monday, when 33,000 licensed truck drivers stopped work to protest a decision by the government to revoke their system of licensing trucks...

As the strike began to bite, with fuel running out at many petrol stations, the government retaliated on Wednesday and issued a civil mobilization order to legally compel drivers of trucks—especially those transporting fuel and perishable goods—to resume work. The government directive ordered striking truckers to return to work or face prison...At the same time, prefectures began issuing orders to requisition individual truck owners' services and their vehicles in order to restore deliveries...

The truck drivers defied government demands to end their action, and early on Thursday around 500 striking drivers clashed with police on outside the Greek Transport Ministry in Athens. The drivers had attempted to storm the ministry in protest against the civil mobilization order. Police used tear gas to turn back the strikers. On Friday, the drivers declared their determination to continue their strike...

At the end of its first week, the strike has led to severe fuel shortages across the country and massive queues at gas stations. Greek media report that more than 95 percent of gas stations in the greater Athens area are out of fuel, and the majority of them in the northern city of Thessaloniki have also run dry. The situation is similar throughout the rest of the country.

In addition to the disruption to fuel distribution, the delivery of other goods—including supplies of food to Greek islands—is also being affected. The dispute is anticipated to have serious repercussions for the tourist industry, which provides up to 20 percent of the country's GDP and one in five jobs.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/jul2010/gree-j31.shtml

[Ghost Dog]

1. Ah. I didn't know the strike was indefinite. That is heavy.

Military transport called into use now, I see.

Greece (it will be especially around Athens, I would guess) is the only place this is happening or is likely to happen.

Certainly, there will no doubt be some 'skirmishing', some disturbance and even some violence in Spain in September, but no way anything like this, nor anywhere else in the EU.

The two EU countries where I could foresee some more serious 'trouble', potentially, for a variety of complex reasons, would be Italy and the UK.

[Ken Burch]

2. We must all support the people of Greece!

Austerity is not the answer, and the wealthy must not demand that those of us who are not wealthy make sacrifices to fix the ruling class's mistakes.

The anti-austerity movement needs to grow throughout Europe and throughout the world. No one below should ever suffer for the mistakes made by those above them.

[malaise]

3. I was listening to Rick Woff the other night

and he was discussing the number of protests planned across the globe in August and September.

[blindpig]

4. The Greeks are the vanguard

We should be taking notes.

The Greek government has thrown the Greek people under the bus at the behest of global Capital and the Greek people threaten to turn the bus over. That's the way it should be.

Go KKE!