In Poland, truckers have been blocking the four main crossing points on the Ukrainian border since November 6. They are protesting in particular against the freedom of movement of Ukrainian carriers since the start of the war, which competes with them.
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With our correspondent in Warsaw, Adrien Sarlat
At the Dorohusk border crossing between Ukraine and Poland, the waiting time for heavy goods vehicles can be counted in hundreds of hours. Like all the other Ukrainian drivers, Ivan gets back into his truck. “ Come on, let’s go for 100 meters, and then we’ll have to stop again », he says.
He’s starting to get used to this little trick. He has been trying to reach Ukraine through the Dorohusk border post for five days. Here, the line of parked trucks stretches for more than 40 kilometers along the road.
“ The first days, the police came, and I asked them: “Where can we go to the bathroom or take a shower around here? ”and the policewoman replied: “Guys, go to the forest,” Ivan relates. In the last 24 hours, he has only advanced 700 meters. Like him, many live only a few kilometers behind the border.
Polish truckers denounce unfair competition
But on the Polish side, this is not the time for concessions. The transporters have been taking turns day and night for almost two weeks to maintain the filter barrier: they only let three vehicles pass per hour.
Their main demand: reintroduction of a passage permit from Ukraine towards the European Union, suppressed since the start of the war. Mariusz, a Polish truck driver, denounces unfair competition. “ Ukraine is not part of the European Union, but they want to travel on EU terms. And that’s the problem, because they are taking our jobs in Poland and in the European Union », he is indignant.
For the moment, any attempt at negotiation has failed. The demonstrators say they are ready to maintain the blockade until January.
Read alsoPolish road hauliers worried about Ukrainian competition
