Greek lawmakers tentatively OK road freight sector reforms despite violent protests
13:05, September 23, 2010
Greek lawmakers on Wednesday tentatively endorsed a measure that would open the country's road freight to competition as angry truckers blocked highways and clashed with police to protest the vote.
A second vote was due later Wednesday. Local media reported that the bill would easily clear parliament since both the ruling party and the main opposition back the measure that is part of government efforts to solve Greece's debt crisis.
The proposed reform took aim at the road freight sector, one of the most closed professions in Greece. Jobs in the sector are protected by, among other things, strict licensing rules.
The reform measure infuriated local truck drivers, who spent hundreds of thousands of euros to obtain a license. They argued that opening the profession would make many go bankrupt because they entered the trade with borrowed money.
The truck drivers, some of whom have camped outside the parliament since Tuesday, clashed with riot police in front of the building. Protesters hurled bottles, stones and wooden sticks, while police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Some drivers, after hearing the result of the vote, blocked highways leading to Athens with their trucks, causing massive traffic jams.
The drivers said they would continue their protest, already in its 10th day, until authorities meet their requests, including a five-year transition period and a guarantee that they would keep at least 35 percent of the value of their licenses.
The government argued that the sector can no longer operate in a closed fashion and that Greece should follow other EU members in liberalizing professions presently closed.
A recent survey conducted by the Greek Economy and Industrial Research Institute showed that liberalizing road freight could reduce transportation, boost employment, and contribute to the national economy up to 1.5 billion euros (2 billion U.S. dollars) over a three-year period.
The debt-ridden country has pledged extensive overhauls and strict
austerity measures in exchange for a 110-billion-euro (146 billion dollars) emergency funding package from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
The belt-tightening measures, however, have triggered waves of protests nationwide. The civil servants union ADEDY has called for a 24-hour strike in early October while workers at the state railway have planned two five-hour strikes for Wednesday and Thursday.
(Quotidiano del Popolo, Cina)
