The Belgian port of Antwerp-Bruges has almost stopped work due to a strike by pilotage and dispatch services, which is being held simultaneously with a nationwide three-day strike in Belgium. This is reported by foreign media.
The strike, announced by three of Belgium's largest trade unions, is taking place in protest against budget cuts and pension reform.
Dispatchers and pilotage services in Belgian ports joined the protest. In particular, on November 24, the Wandelaar main control room in the Belgian port of Antwerp-Bruges and three key locks (Kallo, Zandvliet and Van Cauwelaert), through which the bulk of the pilotage to Antwerp passes, were closed.
The strike disrupted the work of the Northern Seaport (Ghent, Vlissingen, Terneisen), as due to the closure of the control center in Zeebrugge and interruptions in pilotage in Vlissingen, ships can only pass with Dutch pilots.
The restrictions will last on November 26 and may affect the operation of neighboring ports in Northern Europe, where some of the cargo is being redirected. It will take several days to fully restore the ports. The current strike complements previous protests, including a multi-day action by pilots in Antwerp, which led to an accumulation of about 110 ships.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges was established in 2022 as part of the merger of the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge and is a key European hub for the transportation of containers, chemicals and automobiles. The port is jointly owned by Antwerp and Bruges with an annual cargo turnover of 280 million tons.
