The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.

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This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Greece, the truckers strike..[ 1544 ]

Greek truckers told to end strike

irishtimes.com -

Last Updated: Thursday, July 29, 2010, 06:34

The Greek government ordered striking truck drivers to go back to work yesterday, the third day of their nationwide stoppage, as fuel shortages started to hurt the country.

"[The strike] has caused serious disruption of public and economic life and endangers public health with a lack of sufficient supply of fuel, food and medicine," government spokesman George Petalotis said in a statement.

Thousands of striking truck drivers have been lining the highways since Monday to protest against plans to open the sector to competition, a key reform in a multi-billion euro EU/IMF package aimed at pulling Greece out of a debt crisis.

The truck drivers now have 24 hours to return to work or face arrest and the risk of losing their licences.

Union members said they would ignore the order. "We will not obey. They can come and get our trucks if they want," said unionist Spyros Kapetanios.

A team of EU, IMF and ECB officials is visiting Athens to monitor progress in implementing the bailout plan and decide whether to release a 9 billion euro tranche of aid in September.

The EU/IMF plan requires Greece to open up road freight to increased competition by September and to adopt legislation to liberalise other closed professions such as lawyers and architects by June 2011.

The socialist government's first attempt to open up closed professions - lifting restrictions on cruise ship crews - was met with heated protests last month that affected tourism, a key pillar of the €240 billion economy.

Road freight is one of the most closed professions in Greece and no new licences have been issued for decades. Some economists say opening up the sector could lower business costs and boost GDP by 1 percentage point per year.

The truckers' strike has affected fuel supplies, and worried holiday-makers have been queueing to fill their tanks.

The economic crisis has pushed Greece into its first recession in 16 years, lifting unemployment to a 10-year high.

Reuters

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