At the Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport, lashing workers have extended their strike indefinitely after mediation talks broke down on Friday (10 October). The industrial action, which began on 8 October, has brought container handling to a complete standstill.
The union FNV Havens confirmed that negotiations with International Lashing Service (ILS) and Matrans Marine Services ended without agreement. All major container terminals, including APM Maasvlakte II, ECT Delta, RWG and Euromax, are affected.
According to the port authority, more than 18 ships are currently waiting off the coast. The union is demanding a 7% pay rise and automatic inflation adjustment.
“Less than one euro per container would be enough to solve the conflict,” said FNV board member Niek Stam.
Belgian pilot strike blocks traffic on the Scheldt
Since 5 October, maritime traffic has been severely disrupted in Belgium’s key ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ghent, where pilots are on strike in protest against the federal government’s planned pension reform.
Belgian media report that by midweek, around 80 ocean-going and coastal vessels were waiting to enter or leave port. The trade union ACOD claims that younger pilots could lose up to 45% of their future pension under the proposed reform. The pilots’ association BvL also criticised the plan to exclude special bonuses from pension calculations.
Nationwide air freight strike planned for 14–15 October
While sea ports continue to face delays, Belgium is bracing for another logistics shutdown. Freight forwarder DSV has warned that all Belgian trade unions plan to hold a 24-hour national strike from 6:00 a.m. on 14 October until 6:00 a.m. on 15 October, targeting the air freight sector.
Ground handling, security and customs staff are expected to join the walkout, affecting particularly Brussels (BRU) and Liège (LGG) airports. DSV said in a customer notice that outbound cargo flights will be cancelled and incoming shipments delayed or diverted. Access roads to both airports are also expected to be “severely impacted”.
Brussels Airport confirmed that staff from its main security provider will participate, making “safe operations impossible”.
Industry sources predict that express and e-commerce shipments will be rerouted through Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Paris or Amsterdam to maintain service continuity.
Ongoing disruptions and cross-border impact
The Belgian Chamber of Commerce has warned of “secondary effects” across supply chains in Germany, France and Eastern Europe, as both the Rotterdam and Antwerp port authorities struggle to manage vessel backlogs.
Experts expect congestion and delivery delays to persist throughout the week, particularly for time-sensitive automotive, chemical and food shipments. How quickly operations normalise will depend on progress in the wage talks in Rotterdam and the outcome of negotiations over Belgium’s pension reform.
Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder has urged pilots to resume talks, noting that an agreement in principle was originally planned for around 30 November. For now, however, the strike continues without a clear end in sight.
Below is an overview of the ongoing and upcoming strikes affecting Europe’s main logistics hubs:
| Date | Location | Parties involved | Reason | Duration / Status |
| Since 5 October | Antwerp / Zeebrugge (Belgium) | Port pilots | Protest against planned pension reform | Ongoing / indefinite |
| Since 8 October | Rotterdam (Netherlands) | Lashing workers (ILS, Matrans) | Demand for +7% pay rise and inflation adjustment | Ongoing / indefinite |
| 14–15 October | Belgium (nationwide) | Trade unions / air freight sector | Protest over pay and working conditions | 24 hours |
