Rotterdam Containerships Brought to Halt by Lashers' Strike

The union representing the lashers working vessels at the container terminals in the Port of Rotterdam has called a strike in their ongoing struggle for wage increases in a new contract. The strike was expected to disrupt the arrival and departure of containerships through the remainder of the week and comes as the nearby port of Antwerp is also being disrupted by a work slowdown by the Belgian maritime pilots.

Maersk issued a customer advisory reporting that the strike is affecting all major terminals in Rotterdam, including APM, Hutchinson, ECT, and Rotterdam World Gateway. It said that while terminal infrastructure, including tugs and pilots, remains operational, vessel operations are currently being significantly impacted due to the suspension of services by these independent lashing companies.

The strike is officially against two companies, International Lashing Services and Matrans Marine Services, which are contracted by the terminals to perform lashing duties, including setting clamps, rods, or lashing straps. Without those services, containerships are unable to be loaded or unloaded, and depart the terminal. The union FNV also called on all its members not to take over the work normally performed by the lashing company employees.

At issue are their demands for a seven percent wage increase with automatic inflation protection. They report the lashing companies, however, have offered only four percent, with FNV calling the current rates paid “completely inadequate.” 

The union in September had also called on the terminal operators to be involved in the negotiations and to attend a round table meeting. FNV notes that the terminal operators outsource the heavy lifting to the lashing companies but set the per-container fee. The terminal operators have said it is a dispute between the union and its members and the lashing companies.

Around 700 workers were due to stop work at the end of the day shift on Wednesday, October 8, at 1500, and the union is saying they will not return to work until the Friday afternoon, October 10, shift. It has also called a general meeting at noon on October 12 to discuss the “state of affairs and note on the way forward.”

“Without lashers, the entire port would be at a standstill,” predicted FNV board member Niek Stam. The Port of Rotterdam is Europe’s busiest container port, handling approximately 14 million TEU annually. The port was especially busy this week after weekend storms delayed shipping in Northern Europe.

The action in Rotterdam also comes as the Belgian maritime pilots are continuing a job action begun on Sunday, October 5. They are staging a slowdown, which is delaying the movement of ships at Antwerp, as well as Zeebrugge and Ghent. As of Wednesday morning, the union reported that a total of 62 ships were waiting, including a total of 46 in the North Sea and 16 on dock in Antwerp. Port officials in Antwerp said 54 vessels were without a known schedule and that 34 vessels were experiencing delays.

Maersk advised customers that it had aligned contingency plans with our operational partners to mitigate disruptions. However, with two major Northern European ports interrupted, it is likely to quickly ripple into the schedules of vessels that were already experiencing port congestion delays.