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Dual Crisis at Europe's Maritime Gateway: Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges Paralyzed by Strikes
Europe's two largest container ports are facing severe congestion as separate strikes and protests in Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges cripple operations, threatening a domino effect across the region's entire supply chain.
Port of Rotterdam
At Europe's busiest port, Rotterdam, container handling has ground to a complete halt after container lashing workers began a 48-hour strike on Wednesday afternoon to demand higher wages. Simultaneously, ongoing protests by maritime pilots at the neighboring port of Antwerp-Bruges continue to disrupt vessel traffic.
The Dutch FNV union reported that workers at International Lashing Services and Matrans Marine Services—the only two container lashing companies operating in Rotterdam—walked off the job at 3:15 PM local time on Wednesday and will remain on strike until the same time on Friday.
Because lashing workers are responsible for securing containers on board vessels, the strike means no ships can be loaded or unloaded during this period, the union stated. Major container terminals across the port area are expected to feel the full impact, with several container ships already facing extended waiting times.
A spokesperson for the Port of Rotterdam Authority confirmed the strike would affect vessel turnaround times but said it was too early to quantify the full scale of the disruption.
This labor unrest compounds the chaos in the region. In Belgium, Flemish maritime pilots have been protesting federal pension reforms, causing significant delays at Antwerp-Bruges, Europe's second-largest port.
According to the port authority, only 31 ships were processed on Tuesday, compared to a daily average of 60 to 80. As of Wednesday morning, more than 100 vessels were waiting to enter or leave the port, and several have had to divert to other ports.
The pilots, represented by the Beroepsvereniging van Loodsen association, are limiting their work to office hours as part of their protest action. Negotiations with the government remain at a stalemate, with both sides waiting for the other to resume talks. The pilots have been protesting for months, arguing that recent pension reforms unfairly target their profession and could diminish future benefits.
The simultaneous strikes at Rotterdam and Antwerp—two of Northern Europe's most critical maritime gateways—have raised alarms about a widespread domino effect across the container and energy supply chains if the situation persists.
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