Container traffic across northern Europe is facing severe disruption due to simultaneous strikes at the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges, two of Europe’s most vital maritime gateways.
About 700 lashers at the Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest container hub, began a 48-hour walkout on Wednesday afternoon, demanding higher wages and automatic inflation protection. The strike, called by the union FNV, targets contractors providing container-securing services at major terminals.
With lashers refusing to work, no containerships can be loaded or unloaded until the action ends on Friday.
Across the border in Belgium, maritime pilots have staged a slowdown since October 5 to protest federal pension reforms, restricting work to office hours and creating mounting backlogs at Antwerp, Zeebrugge, and Ghent. By midweek, over 100 ships were waiting to enter or leave Antwerp-Bruges, Europe’s second-largest port, with daily throughput roughly halved. The twin actions at Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges are already sending ripples through regional logistics networks. Analysts warn that if the disputes drag on, congestion and schedule disruptions could quickly spread across northern Europe’s container and energy supply chains.
