1. Antwerp & Zeebrugge: Pilot Strike Severely Disrupts Port Operations
A strike initiated by the Pilot Association began on October 5, 2025, in response to discontent over recent federal pension reforms.
As a result, pilotage services in the affected regions are now strictly limited to standard office hours, from 08:00 to 17:00.
During the strike, the daily vessel handling capacity has dropped by nearly two-thirds.
Maersk warns that this industrial action will severely disrupt shipping operations at both Antwerp and Zeebrugge ports, causing significant delays in vessel arrivals and departures in the coming days.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges portal reports nearly 100 vessels affected by delays:
2. Rotterdam: Lashers’ Strike Brings Container Operations to a Halt
Due to a labor dispute, lashing companies at the Port of Rotterdam have launched a 48-hour strike.
Two key companies providing lashing services, Matrans and ILS, announced that operations at the main container terminals have largely come to a standstill.
Since the afternoon of October 8, workers responsible for securing and releasing containers on vessels and terminals have stopped working.
Maersk emphasized in customer communications that lashing operations are crucial for the safe securing, loading, and unloading of containers.
Although terminal infrastructure, including tugs and pilot services, remains operational, the suspension of services from these independent lashing companies means that vessel operations at the terminals will be significantly affected.
Consequently, loading and unloading operations for vessels berthing between October 8 and 10 are expected to face delays or interruptions.
