48-Hour Lashing Strike Halts Container Operations at Port of Rotterdam

Lashers at the Port of Rotterdam initiated a 48-hour strike on Wednesday afternoon, bringing container operations to a standstill as workers demand higher wages. The work stoppage began at 3:15 p.m. local time on October 8 and will continue until Friday afternoon, effectively paralyzing vessel loading and unloading operations throughout Europe’s busiest container port.

The FNV labor union confirmed that all employees from International Lashing Services and Matrans Marine Services, the two companies responsible for lashing operations in Rotterdam, are participating in the strike.

“Without lashers the whole port grinds to a halt,” said FNV spokesman Niek Stam, highlighting the critical role these workers play in securing cargo aboard vessels.

While the Rotterdam port authority acknowledged the strike would certainly impact traffic, they said it was too early to provide estimates on the full scope of disruptions.

Maersk reports that the strike affects all major terminals in Rotterdam, including APM Terminals Maasvlakte II, Hutchinson Ports Delta II, ECT Delta, and Rotterdam World Gateway.

According to Maersk’s customer advisory, the labor dispute centers on “working conditions and compensation for lashing personnel on Terminals in Rotterdam.” While terminal infrastructure including tugs and pilots remains operational, vessel operations have been significantly impacted due to the suspension of lashing services, which are essential for the safe securing and release of containers on board vessels.

Meanwhile, a separate industrial action by Flemish harbor pilots in Belgium has severely disrupted marine traffic at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Reuters reports that this four-day protest against federal pension reforms has already reduced vessel processing at Antwerp harbor from its typical 60-80 ships daily to just 31 vessels on Tuesday, with some ships being delayed, stranded, or diverted to other ports.

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