Taxi to the Port Side

Nobody likes a pissed off, angry taxi driver, let alone an entire fleet of them, except for - evidently - the euro-prostrate Greek government. For the past several days, the taxi drivers of Thessaly have been enforcing a strike while futilely communicating their demands to members of parliament, PASOK and whichever Ministry governs them (Culture and Tourism? Transportation? Malfeasance?). Where do reasonable people go when the leftist party they once supported has completely violated its principles and consequently, their trust? They go further portside - figuratively and literally - which was exactly what i found them doing in the city of Volos on day three of their strike.

A spirited march of approximately 150 men and women made its way through the city's main financial /shopping district to the port facility, where a lively debate ensued regarding whether or not to blockade cars from getting onto the next ferry. In spite of a very meager police presence, easily subverted, in the end the blockade did not take place. However, patience was wearing thin and it seems the pro-blockade contigent has been growing every day. If the government does not deal with this sector of transportation workers soon, we shouldn't be surprised to see them blocking not only the ferries in Volos, but in other Greek ports as well. It was clear from the honking of horns and general public approval towards the marchers that while the government may not be on their side, the people certainly are. Everyone cheered when bottles of water were tossed at the local PASOK headquarters.

What decisions, aka austerity measures, are these drivers contesting? The government has already put them at a disadvantage compared to their peers throughout the European Union (EU), because EU regulations place a limit of 2 drivers per 1000 inhabitants, whereas in Greece the government currently allows 3. Now the austerity faux planners are further sticking it to the drivers with a plan to completely deregulate the taxi industry so that debt prioritization can liberally run its course. According to a Volos driver named Konstantinos, anyone who wants to call their vehicle a taxi will now be able to do so, which means competition for fares is going to dramatically increase while rates (per km) will naturally decrease. Arthuro and his fellow driver, Kristos, both from Larissa (Thessaly's capital) believe that mafioso-like operatives will come in, buy a fleet of 200 cars and put the 'real drivers' out of business. They said the drivers had come from four different cities and represented about 50.000 people (the number of family members who depend on taxis to keep them fed and clothed). Arthuro just bought his taxi last year and like everyone i've met in Greece this month, is distressed about not being able to pay off the accrued debt if the new (non)regulations go into effect.

Once they reached the port, it was interesting to watch the megaphone change hands as the debate about whether to carry out the blockade unfolded; there were clearly several diverse, equally passionate opinions being expressed. Given the potential havoc that would ensue if a blockade had occurred and the fact that these were local people addressing the current crisis in an organized way, it was surprising to me that there were no media in attendance - nope, not a one, except ostensibly yours truly ("Gentleman, today I am your media coverage!") which is a pretty sad situation, given the fact i'm working without internet backup and hence couldn't even get this posted until 3 days after the fact. When i asked them WHY there were no media present, they rightfully accused the media of only being interested in Athens, because that's where the sex & violence rating requirements can be met. A friend later told me he had seen a TV report the previous night on two drivers attacking a third, who thought he could get away with earning a fare or two, which would seem to support the drivers' claim regarding lack of media interest in a peaceful march. They could have thrown molotovs at PASOK to get some attention (certainly the police response would've merited at least one tv camera?) but these were frappe-drinking guys and gals looking for respect, not vengence. The relevant Minister and local MPs have alternated between giving them a total run-around on negotiations and outright lying about their intentions. Fed up, they insist they are not going to take it anymore. If you want to follow their next moves, here's a website for Eurotaxi Larissa (Greek and English pages). As it stands today, "We ask sincerely apologize to our passengers that we will not be able to meet the transport needs, due to the strike."

Advantageous in covering a demonstration of taxi drivers is that most of them speak at least some English, so it wasn't very hard to find people able to explain what was happening. However, willingness to do so was a different matter, as many refused to say anything to me beyond expressing their disdain for America. One could easily thank neo-liberal extraordinaire Hilary Clinton for that, but her recent appearance in Athens to hold Papandreou's hand (or threaten him?) was little more than icing on a heavily corrupted cake in which America represents one thick central layer. Many think the ultimate problem they're dealing with is economic globalization and no country is more responsible for THAT than the United States.

At any rate, the answer i continuously received regarding the content of the various statements being made on the issue of whether to hold a blockade was, "in Greece you are seeing real democracy". Period.... but also parenthetically, since democracy (theoretically) includes an investiture of decision-making power and in Greece today, those invested with this power are in no way, shape or form the people marching in the streets - more like those hiding from the marchers. Hilary Clinton and company should do us all a favor and stop railing about democracy because in fact, what we're seeing here is banktocracy - the new legacy that American, IMF and EU finance barons are spreading up and down the Aegean. When Chinese companies own every taxi and ferry serving these ports, i suppose we'll see which side of the political spectrum this legacy really falls on: port or starboard? sink or swim?