River Odra grinds to a halt as bargemen conflict over sale of Odratrans

After two calm months members of the Odratrans trade union have resumed their protest. This time they have blocked a Wrocław harbor as well as the Odra River. Bargemen are protesting against the decision of the VII NFI Investment Fund to sell their company, Odratrans, to Gliwice-based IZO-ERG, and announced that they are ready to purchase the company themselves. "Our patience has run out. This country should be treated as some sort of a Banana Republic, politicians must have gone mad," said one Odratrans employee. The bargemen declared that their blockade, which means that no ship can enter Szczecin from the German side, will last until it brings results. The last time the unionist took such steps they were defeated. This time they are more determined, and have blocked all other river routes which could be used to bypass the protest. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B5; www.rmf.pl) A.K.