The Greek government presented a bill to Parliament that calls for up to 5 years in prison for anyone who refuses to obey orders to resume work, criticising the attempt of a minority of lorry drivers to “use force” to make the rest of the sector proceed with a long and costly protest.
The law, presented as an amendment to a bill on tax evasion, will be voted on tomorrow and calls for a minimum three-year prison term for anyone who violates a return to work order and a 5-year prison term for repeat offenses, including the revocation of the offender’s drivers license. Government spokesman Giorgio Petalotis, speaking about the bill and cited by ANA, said that these measures are needed to provide new tools to a state that “cannot be unarmed” in front of a protest that is crippling the country and where “a small minority of lorry drivers” are preventing their colleagues from returning to work and using “violence” and even “weapons”, referring to an episode in which shots were fired recently at a lorry taking part in the protest. Police are investigating into the incident.
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