Harbor pilots at the Port of Antwerp began an indefinite strike on Monday, according to reports from multiple media outlets.
The walkout reportedly left as many as 40 cargo ships waiting to berth outside the Belgian port, with several ultra-large container vessels diverting to the nearby Port of Rotterdam, and also has affected operations the smaller ports of Zeebrugge and Ghent.
The pilots initiated the strike action, which could soon spread to inland waterways as well, over a controversial plan by the federal government that would “reduce the benefits afforded to pilots in their capacity as public employees,” including paid time off and long-term disability pay, according to an account from The Brussels Times.
The strike began after a meeting with Liesbeth Homans, vice-minister-president for of the Flemish government, during which the two sides failed to reach a meaningful agreement.
“What the unions are doing now is unprecedented, and demonstrates anything but a sense of responsibility,” Homans told The Brussels Times. “Anyone with any sense of responsibility will come to the table instead of crippling the Flemish economy and holding a huge number of businesses and their employees hostage.”
According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the Port of Antwerp is called by more than 100 regular cargo services operated by several of the largest carriers and all three of the major east-west alliances, including 77 direct strings connecting the port with regions outside of Europe and 41 intra-European loops.