July 31, 2010
MIlitary delivering fuel, leapfrogging the trucking strike
The Associated Press at the Canadian Press with a brief report on the Greek military stepping in to get fuel supplies delivered around the country. WIth the trucking monopoly on an indefinite strike protesting Papandreou's plan to open up the lucrative licensing of freight hauling in Greece, there's probably no way out for the truckers who will see their privileged position on the Greek highways removed.
" Greek authorities are using military trucks and commandeered fuel trucks to restore fuel supplies cut by a strike that has hurt the country's industry and tourism at the height of vacation season.
Military vehicles are supplying fuel to airports, hospitals and power stations, Greek authorities confirm. Escorted by police, fuel trucks and company trucks have been replenishing gas stations. Associated Press reporters have seen police escorting them in and out of refineries and through highway toll stations where striking truck drivers have been trying to disrupt the flow of supplies.
Strikers attacked a couple of vehicles but there were no wider confrontations."
Two days ago Papandreou ordered the truckers back to work, but this has been ignored, resulting in the military intervention. In a test of the will of Papandreou and PASOK to deliver on promises made in exchange for the €110 IMF/eurozone bailout, the Greek government is fighting its way through a series of battles with unions and within its own party in parliament. The sailor union is fighting to keep its right to control the coming and going of tourists through Greek ports, and the resulting strikes severely sabotaging an already hurting segment of Greece's tourist industry. With the trucker strike and air-traffic controller protests, tourism is taking a beating left and right.
Bloomberg article by Maria Petrakis from two days ago:
"Greece’s government ordered truck drivers back to work after talks deadlocked in a bid to end a strike that has led to nationwide fuel shortages.
Prime Minister George Papandreou gave the order today after taking into consideration the “serious upheaval to the country’s social and economic life and the serious risk to public health from the lack of adequate supplies to citizens of fuel, food and medicine,” according to a statement posted on the press ministry’s website. Continuation of the strike would threaten the normal functioning of health and welfare services and public order, the statement said.
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. Talks today between the government and representatives of the strikers failed to produce an agreement. "
Most commentary I have seen is supporting Papandreou's efforts, expecting a future in which a more competitive Greece with a stronger resistance to cronyism, general business and political corruption will make for better wealth and economic stability. But the counter-view predicts a Greece that is ripe for exploitation and will produce heavy suffering. For example see this article from Inter-Press Service (came across via the Living in Greece blog):
"The problem is deteriorating work ethics, says Fannis Klissas, a 26-year-old cook. Klissas landed a job a few months ago in a pastry shop in Athens that paid 840 euros per month.
"In the beginning the agreement seemed good. The money was a bit less than what it is usually but in these times you can't have it all," he says.
A few weeks after he joined his job, he became aware that the owner of the shop was imposing fines on people who made mistakes during production.
"I made a mistake some weeks ago that cost the owner a few euros, but be asked me to pay a fine of 100 euros. When you work overtime everyday, six days per week, you can't be punished for spoiling a couple of cakes. If you cannot do your job they can warn you and then ask you to leave the job, but this attitude of a boss being able to punish people the way he desires is totally unjustified."
Klissas refused to pay up and was fired.
This culture prevails across the country, and is tolerated only because of mounting economic uncertainties, says Klissas. "People are scared and easily manipulated. Things are getting tougher here. Most of the people put up with things that they should speak against. How can they? Don't they understand that work should be based on mutual respect and mature human relations, not domination and fear?"
Many observers say that deregulation is the price Greek society has to pay in order to increase competitiveness and cut its mounting debts. Some others predict that hardships resulting from the austerity measures could spark more severe social tensions in Greece.
Afroditi Korfiati, a special investigator with the Labour Inspectorate of the Ministry of Labour, responsible for exposing work place irregularities and resolving disputes between workers and employers, suggests people should stay calm until the impact of austerity reforms materialise.
"There is a general mood that things are deteriorating. But the actual data we are gathering proves that workplace irregularities are just as bad as last year. We are trying hard to maintain checks," Korfiati told IPS."
Article by Maria Katsounaki at Kathimerini on the truckers strike and the effect of the media war of images and sympathies as the conflict over the austerity measures begins to heighten throughout Greek society:
"[Greeks] ... need to think about whether being without gas for a few days justifies truck owners keeping their “shop” closed off to competition.
Reactions governed by the fact of appearing on television are not without consequence; the price will be paid in the future. This will come at the cost of a government that seems to waver in its decision, weak and undecided, as well as a society that is systematically being ground down by lawlessness.
Greece's Golden Visa program
