Italy backs down on rates and fuel
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by Juliet Parish • A nationwide haulage strike in Italy was called off on Tuesday this week after just two days' action. The Italian Government bowed to pressure to re-think the fixed haulage rates and tax on dery it imposes.
The agreement between transport union Unatras and the Government was unclear when CM went to press Tuesday afternoon. But it was confirmed the union, which is believed to represent two thirds of Italy's hauliers, immediately ditched plans for a two-week confrontation.
British truck drivers escaped most of the fuel shortages and blockades in the country The hold-ups were concentrated in northern Italy, especially in the Turin, Susa and Trieste areas.
However London-based Eurotrans had a driver blocked in the south after he loaded in the Salerno area near Naples.
Transport manager Mike Bailey suspects the brawl on Monday night was an isolated incident. His five other drivers had no trouble: "I think it was a flare of tern. pers; when our driver went to leave the compound a group stopped him. But he is on his way now and there was no violence."
There have been reports, however, of Czech and Hungarian drivers having their truck windscreens broken at Trieste.
An owner-driver working for Newark-based PI3C Internatioil;t. Forwarding had refused to leave the town fearing similar violence. But PBC director Rick Ellis says his five drivers left unscathed. He, like other operators, are relieved the Italian dispute did not mirror the French strike in the summer of 1991.
The Freight Transport Association says it was nowhere near as co-ordinated as the French trouble.