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Striking drivers of road fuel tankers returned to work
after a ten day strike that created havoc on fuel supplies. As
reported by PetrolWorld, nealry 70% of the service station network ran
out of fuel. Greece has been hit by back-to-back strikes
over the past few months, putting the country in an economic crisis.
Strikes by union groups upset by Greek government privatisation
plans
and pension reforms disrupted air transport and state services last
week. Ships remain anchored at the ports of Pireaus near Athens and
in the northern port city of Thessaloniki and state carrier Olympic
Airlines cancelled 40 flights and rescheduled another 24.
Greek
private air company Aegean also cancelled 28 flights and changed
departure times for another 52 as air traffic controllers held a
four-hour walkout. The strike by dock workers who fear the
privatisation of the nation's ports will lead to job cuts has also been
backed by workers at post offices, banks, the Hydro Company, Athens
Water Company, ambulance and hospital employees, where workers will
also hold work stoppages.
Unions
are angry over recent privatisation deals, including the deal reached
by the state telecommunications company, OTE, with Germany's Deutsche
Telekom as well as pension reforms and high consumer prices. Work
stoppages by the country's public power corporation have caused energy
cuts while dockers' refusal to work overtime has led to a pile up of
containers in the ports of Pireaus and Thessaloniki.
PetrolWorld 160508
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