The decision came after an appeal was filed by a coalition of businesses and employers. If an agreement is not reached by Thursday, workers can resume the agitation on the 17th
Rotterdam – After six days of strike, the Court of the Netherlands has ordered the dockworkers of the port of Rotterdam to temporarily return to work. The decision came in response to an appeal filed by a coalition of businesses and employers who denounced the protest’s disproportionate impact on logistics chains and the national economy. The strike, which began on Wednesday, October 8 and was then extended indefinitely, caused heavy delays: according to port authorities, at the time of the decision, 33 ships were at anchor, including 15 deep-sea container ships. The delays, according to estimates, could last until the end of October or, in the event of new agitation, even beyond.
The court’s measure provides for the resumption of activities from Monday morning until Friday, October 17, the day on which workers could eventually resume the strike if an agreement is not reached. The Fnv union, which initiated the strike, has reduced the initial wage increase demand from 7% to 6.5%, in addition to automatic indexation to inflation. However, the two companies that employ the lashers continue to consider the request economically unsustainable.
According to Fnv, the inconveniences caused by the protest would be “inconvenient, but not serious,” and would not justify judicial intervention. The court was of the opposite opinion, deeming the situation to be of public interest due to its impact on the security of supplies. The parties reopened negotiations on Sunday, while the Port Authority of Rotterdam hopes that an agreement will be reached in the coming days. Meanwhile, companies warn that they could seek new legal injunctions in the event of a renewed strike.
Adding to the crisis in Rotterdam are tensions in Belgium, where port pilots are implementing operational slowdowns in protest against the pension reform. On Monday evening, 133 ships were waiting, including 36 at a standstill in Antwerp waiting for a pilot. Furthermore, 89 ships bound for the three Belgian ports were anchored offshore. Delays are set to increase with the national general strike scheduled for Thursday.
