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Italy, truck strike causes chaos for perishables
Italy
Friday 14 December 2007
Italian truck drivers launched a five-day strike Monday in protest of high fuel prices, bringing chaos to major cities and huge jams at frontiers with neighbouring Countries.
Some drivers blocked roads with their lorries, while others formed convoys that deliberately slowed traffic on major highways. It is the second major strike in the transport sector in the past two weeks.
Paolo Ugge, head of the FAI, the biggest drivers´ union, said about 90 percent of members had followed the strike call.
The drivers - staging their first major strike since 1990 - are demanding government help with rising fuel prices, in protest at what they say is insufficient money for transport in centre-left Prime minister Romano Prodi´s 2008 budget.
Union leaders have met today Italian Transport minister Alessandro Bianchi.
Coldiretti, the farmer´s union, warned there will be “rotting produce in the fields and thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables rotting in the storehouses” if the strike continues.
The petrol station manager´s union, Fegica-Cisl, also warned the situation could “become critical starting on wednesday” if petrol companies cannot carry out their deliveries.
About 70 percent of Italy´s merchandise is moved by road, according to La Stampa daily, which estimated that the current five-day strike would cost about five billion euros (7.3 billion dollars).
Some drivers blocked roads with their lorries, while others formed convoys that deliberately slowed traffic on major highways. It is the second major strike in the transport sector in the past two weeks.
Paolo Ugge, head of the FAI, the biggest drivers´ union, said about 90 percent of members had followed the strike call.
The drivers - staging their first major strike since 1990 - are demanding government help with rising fuel prices, in protest at what they say is insufficient money for transport in centre-left Prime minister Romano Prodi´s 2008 budget.
Union leaders have met today Italian Transport minister Alessandro Bianchi.
Coldiretti, the farmer´s union, warned there will be “rotting produce in the fields and thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables rotting in the storehouses” if the strike continues.
The petrol station manager´s union, Fegica-Cisl, also warned the situation could “become critical starting on wednesday” if petrol companies cannot carry out their deliveries.
About 70 percent of Italy´s merchandise is moved by road, according to La Stampa daily, which estimated that the current five-day strike would cost about five billion euros (7.3 billion dollars).
