Greece orders striking lorry drivers back to work
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Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Greek government has used a rare emergency order to force lorry drivers back to work after a three-day strike.
The back to work order was issued hours after negotiations between the government and the drivers broke down. The drivers have until later on Thursday to return to the roads or face arrest and the loss of their licenses. Most petrol stations in Athens are out of fuel and shops and factories are running low on supplies.
The drivers oppose government plans to open the industry to more competition as part of austerity measures agreed with the IMF and the EU. Members of the drivers' union said they would not back down and dared the government to seize their lorries. The national emergency provision is usually reserved for times of war or natural disaster.