Port of Rotterdam Sees Dock Worker Strike Begin

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday January 8, 2016

Workers at the Port of Rotterdam's container terminals Thursday started a 24 hour strike at 3:15 p.m. local time, the Rotterdam Port Authority announced.

As Ship & Bunker previously reported, the workers are said to be hoping that the strike action will help achieve their demand for a guarantee of job security over the next nine years in the face of two new highly automated container terminals.

About 800 workers are estimated to be involved in the strike, with seven docked container ships expected to be affected by the action, as well as a further three ships expected to arrive during the strike.

"The Port of Rotterdam is working hard behind the scenes to take up the discussions between trade unions, employers and the Port Authority again as quickly as possible," stated the port authority in its announcement.

In December, Ship & Bunker reported that the dockworkers' union FNV Havens (FHV) said its members in the container sector had voted "massively yes" to take strike action in the New Year after its members "almost unanimously" rejected a final offer from employers.