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Italy truck strike causes chaos Italian lorry drivers end strike
(about 9 hours later)
Italy's truck drivers are mounting a third day of demonstrations and blockades, leading to shortages of petrol and food across the country. Italy's lorry drivers say they are suspending their three-day blockade that has led to shortages of petrol and food across the country.
Drivers are protesting against high fuel prices and long working hours. The two main unions representing the strikers say the government has agreed to address their concerns about rising fuel prices and long working hours.
The unions walked out of a meeting on Tuesday with Transport Minister Alessandro Bianchi, breaking off negotiations to end the strike. Thousands of drivers have been blockading motorways since Monday.
The authorities say the blockades are unlawful and are warning drivers to remove them or face sanctions. The strike has caused huge queues at petrol stations, and shops have begun running out of fresh food.
"We expect that over the coming hours the situation can go back to normal," government officials Enrico Letta was quoted as saying by the Associated Press after talks with the unions.
Transport Minister Alessandro Bianchi said: "A sense of responsibility prevailed in the end."
The drivers had earlier ignored an order by the transport minister to end what the official strikes commission had declared an illegal protest.
The authorities had warned that the strikers could face sanctions unless they removed the blockades.
Panic buyingPanic buying
The drivers have been blockading major ports, borders and the main routes into the cities. The drivers had been blockading major ports, borders and the main routes into Italy's cities.
On many motorways, barricades of trucks have restricted cars to a single lane with some completely closed. On many motorways, barricades of trucks restricted cars to a single lane with some completely closed.
At Ventimiglia on the Italian-French border, drivers stopped any trucks from crossing. Tailbacks on the French side ran to several kilometres.At Ventimiglia on the Italian-French border, drivers stopped any trucks from crossing. Tailbacks on the French side ran to several kilometres.
Several unions representing 80% of the country's drivers are out on strike. Several unions representing 80% of the country's drivers were involved in the strike.
They are protesting against rising fuel prices and are demanding more money for the transport sector in the government's 2008 budget. They were protesting against rising fuel prices and demanding more money for the transport sector in the government's 2008 budget.
Petrol stations across the country are now running short of supplies. There is panic buying and long queues are forming at the pumps, with the situation predicted to get much worse. Petrol stations across the country have been running short of supplies, and there have been long queues at the pumps.
The authority monitoring strikes in Italy says the blockades are unlawful and are warning drivers to remove them or face sanctions. There has also been panic buying, leaving many supermarket shelves empty.
But so far all negotiations have failed and an umbrella group representing most of the unions says the drivers will stay on the picket lines until the weekend.