Poles have initiated a strike at the "Medyka – Shehyni" border crossing.

On the morning of Saturday, November 23, Polish farmers began a strike at the "Medika – Shehyni" border crossing.

This was reported by RMF24, as conveyed by "European Truth".

According to the co-organizer of the blockade that started on the morning of November 23, farmers are protesting for two reasons.

The first reason, as reported by journalists, is the failure to meet the demand to maintain the level of agricultural tax in 2024 at the same level as in 2023.

The second reason is the "concern over the European Union signing a free trade agreement with South American countries MERCOSUR (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay).

"We want to pressure those in power to prevent this agreement from being finalized," he stated.

According to journalists, farmers have blocked national road 28. At the pedestrian crossing near the railway overpass at the entrance to Medyka, they are not allowing trucks coming from Ukraine to pass.

On the other hand, trucks traveling from Poland to Ukraine are allowed to pass only one at a time per hour. Passenger cars, buses, and humanitarian vehicles can travel freely in both directions. The police have stated that they will ensure traffic flow on national roads 77 and 28, as well as routes within the city.

Regarding the farmers' demands, a representative of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Bartosz Gubernat, noted that a relevant draft law is being prepared concerning the maintenance of the tax amount at the level of 2023 this year.

"Due to a lack of funds in the state budget, the project has been removed from further proceedings," he noted.

According to him, despite this, farmers affected by adverse weather events, such as hail or flooding, whose losses exceeded 30% of the average annual agricultural production, could apply for assistance from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture.

"It was equivalent to the sum of the third and fourth parts of the agricultural tax," emphasized Gubernat.

He also reminded that when it came to the EU free trade agreement with MERCOSUR countries, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the government "clearly indicated that this agreement would not be signed."

As journalists report, farmers claim that if an agreement is not reached, they intend to protest continuously until the end of the year.

As Andrey Demchenko, a representative of the State Border Service, told "European Truth," the strike began around 10:00 AM. He noted that according to available information, the action is set to last 48 hours, but its continuation is not ruled out.

"The blockade aims to restrict movement for trucks. Participants in this action in Poland are located near the checkpoint on the highway," he stated.