Polish carriers to go on one-day strike at Ukrainian border

MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax) - Polish carriers will go on a one-day strike near the Yagodin-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Polish border on November 3, Ukrainian media said with the reference to a statement by Igor Overko, head of the Association of International Road Carriers of Ukraine, published on a social network.

"Alongside a strike planned from November 3, 2023, and January 3, 2024, near the Rava-Ruska - Hrebenne checkpoint, Polish carriers will also go on strike near the Yagodin-Dorohusk checkpoint between 10 a.m. and 24 a.m. on November 3. The approximate number of strike participants is 200, plus 100 truck tractors," Overko said.

Seeking to resolve the situation, the Ukrainian embassy to Poland has held consultations with the Polish Infrastructure Ministry and the consulate general in Lubkin. There was also a meeting with Governor Lech Sprawka, who recently met with carriers planning protests at the border.

Polish carriers aim to draw attention to the situation with transportation in Poland and to initiate a dialogue between the Polish and Ukrainian sides. Should a compromise be reached, the carriers will not be blocking checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border for two months, Overko said.

As reported, the Ukrainian Restoration Ministry has been warned about preparations for blocking checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border and initiated a meeting with Polish and European Commission officials to ensure the stable functioning of the state border.

The Association of International Road Carriers said earlier that Polish carriers were planning to block the Ukrainian border for two months starting from November 3. It also said that the carriers demanded reinstating the issuance of permits for Ukrainian carriers, stricter rules of CEMT transportation, a separate E-Line for vehicles with EU license plates, a separate line for empty trucks, and access to the Shlyakh system.

Ukrainian Deputy Restoration Minister Sergei Derkach told Ukrainian media that most demands of the Polish carriers, threatening to block the road, could not be met.