Greek truck drivers mull return to work

After a marathon round of talks between the Greek government and striking truck drivers on Thursday, unions and owners' associations are mulling returning to work after a crippling four-day strike that strangled fuel supplies. Final decisions will be taken by the truckers unions and owners associations on Friday afternoon.

On Thursday, talks went on for about half a day between Minister of Transport Dimitris Reppas and the representatives of trucking unions and owners' associations. Some minor concessions are being considered to help the strikers save face without diluting the liberalisation bill for the sector.

Discussions were marred Thursday by some sporadic clashes with riot police outside the Transport Ministry by some of the truckers and tear gas was used.

A few drivers also threw empty bottles at TV journalists and prevented coverage. On Wednesday, the Greek government issued a civil mobilisation order to legally compel drivers of trucks, and especially those transporting fuel and perishable goods, to resume work in hopes of ending the open-ended strike.

But bureaucratic delays to issuing individual orders and mass disobedience by owners and drivers meant that its affect was not as immediate as hoped.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou had directed Reppas to exhaust all avenues of dialogue and to reach a consensus with the strikers to alleviate the impact of the industrial action that has been devastating to the local economy, which is already under the siege of recession.

The strike has led to severe fuel shortages around the country and massive lines at gas stations. Local media reports that more than 95% of gas stations in the greater Athens area are out of fuel, and the great majority of them in the northern city of Thessaloniki have also run dry.

On some of Greece's islands and in its remote rural areas, the shortages of fuel and some goods are even more acute, while the disruption has come as a further blow to Greece's struggling tourist industry in the midst of its peak summer season.

Around 33,000 licensed truck drivers began an indefinite strike on July 26 to protest against government plans to open up the freight industry and issue new licenses.

The changes are a requirement of a 110 billion-euro ($143 billion) loan package from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

Under the order, the owners and drivers of trucks must resume work or face penalties. The transport and finance ministries, as well as local governments were given the power to requisition vehicles and services "and to take any further necessary measure to ensure the public good."

Truckers called on the ministry to delay the introduction of a bill, planned for this week, until September to allow for more talks between the government and the industry. The request was refused.