Europe's biggest port is facing a strike! Congestion at ports has reached critical levels

Strike action in Europe is threatening already congested supply chains. Thousands of workers at various German seaports, including the Port of Hamburg, went on strike on Friday, further increasing the congestion, and unions and seaports associations are due to negotiate again next Tuesday.

Antwerp-Bruges, one of Europe's largest ports, is also about to face a nationwide strike by Belgian unions.

According to the latest situation announcement of ports in the major Nordic regions released by Maersk, the ports of Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp are facing continuous congestion and have even reached critical levels.

▎Belgium unions will hold a nationwide strike next Monday

It is reported that Belgian unions plan to hold a nationwide strike next Monday (June 20), demanding the government to protect and increase the purchasing power of employees in the case of continued rising living costs. In late May, a similar nationwide strike shut down the country's public transport and affected port operations. As part of the June 20 action, the unions are planning a large demonstration in Brussels.

Brussels' public transport operator STIB-MIVB has warned that its service network is expected to be severely disrupted next Monday as unions organise yet another nationwide strike, advising passengers to look for alternatives to public transport.

Brussels Airport has announced that major disruptions are expected next Monday as some employees plan to take part in a union demonstration in Brussels. Brussels Airlines has cancelled more than half of its June 20 flights. Charleroi Airport also warned of possible disruptions to its services.

According to Splash, a notice sent to customers of PSA International, which is the main terminal operator in the Belgian port of Antwerp, said: "Our operational activities are limited due to our reliance on employees who are actively involved in port-related work."

▎ Major European ports are in serious congestion

Maersk has released an update on some of the major Nordic ports (Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp) in light of continued congestion across the Nordics.

Congestion in Bremerhaven has reached critical levels, with supply chain congestion having a severe impact on yard density and waiting times in the ports of Bremerhaven and Hamburg. In addition, negotiations between the Verdi union and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies have not yet reached an agreement, and strike action is likely to occur and cause further disruptions in Germany and northern Europe. The next round of negotiations will take place next Tuesday.

In terms of rail services, backlogs, delays and cancellations have had a significant impact on productivity and available capacity at both ports. Throughout May and June, three incidents of damaged railway overhead lines occurred in Bremerhaven, causing many trains to be delayed or even cancelled.

Congestion levels are also high in the Port of Rotterdam, with terminal yard density reaching critical levels resulting in reduced terminal productivity. While waiting times and productivity in the Antwerp-Bruges port are still under control, the yard density remains high across the Nordic network.

According to a notice issued by Crane International Logistics, the number of ships waiting to be berthed outside German ports has increased to about 60, and the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp have also been severely congested.

source:https://www.sofreight.com/