Due to the “slowdown action” initiated by the Belgian Maritime Pilots Association since this week, as a partial strike to protest the government’s proposed pension reform plan, Belgium’s three major ports—Antwerp, Zeebrugge, and Ghent—are fully陷入 congestion, with ship delays and backlogs continuously worsening.
It is reported that the Belgian government and the Pilots Association reached a preliminary consensus this summer, but subsequent谈判 progress has stalled. Federal Pensions Minister Jan Jambon and Flemish Ports Minister Annick De Ridder stated that they will continue to advance the reform according to the established timetable, striving to reach a final framework agreement before the end of November. However, the pilots believe that the government’s谈判 have stalled and lack sincerity, hence they initiated a “work-to-rule” action starting October 5th.
According to the notice issued by the Pilots Association, during the action, pilots will only work between 8:00 and 17:00 daily, strictly adhering to rest and office hours. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges authority indicated that the actual implementation is even more restrictive, with most pilots starting work at 10:00 AM and finishing by 17:00 PM.
“The impact will be significant,” a port spokesperson told the Belgian news agency. Currently, there are about 300 maritime pilots nationwide responsible for ocean-going and inland waterway shipping. Industry sources said that according to the government’s reform plan, the pensions of the younger generation of pilots could face cuts of up to 45%, and their pension system is inconsistent with that of other public officials and salaried employees, which has become the trigger for the protest.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges issued a warning that this action will “seriously disrupt” port operations, and shipping entering and leaving the port will be受阻 in the coming days.
According to port data, as of the afternoon of October 7th, the total number of ships stranded in port had reached 70—with 54 waiting for pilots in the North Sea (44 bound for Antwerp, the rest for Zeebrugge and Ghent), and another 15 ships waiting to depart from Antwerp. The latest port authority update shows that currently, 54 ships in the Port of Antwerp have not yet been scheduled for pilotage, with an additional 32 ships experiencing delays.
Although government officials have called on the pilots to stop the action and restart谈判, the association stated in a declaration that, while they “deeply regret the situation and its impact on the shipping industry,” they are still waiting for a political response from the government and are willing to return to the谈判 table when conditions are ripe.
In fact, this is not the first time Belgian ports have been paralyzed by social protests. This spring, local farmers and truck drivers also blocked ports in dissatisfaction with the government’s fiscal reforms, causing logistics disruptions. Since the June 2024 election, the Belgian coalition government has been continuously wavering between fiscal deficits and social welfare adjustments, with fiscal reform measures becoming a focal point of political and social矛盾.
As the pilots’ action continues, shipping秩序 at major European ports like Antwerp may further deteriorate, and regional supply chains could also suffer连锁 impacts.
