A pilots’ strike, which began on October 5, is affecting ship movement in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, in Belgium.
The action is part of the pilots’ dissatisfaction with the federal pension reforms, driven by the European country’s Government.
In an update, the port detailed that, during the afternoon of October 7, there were 63 ships without a pilotage schedule and another four with delays in Antwerp. Meanwhile, in Zeebrugge, the congestion consists of six outbound vessels and six more inbound.
Earlier on the same day, the port authority reported the presence of 54 vessels without a defined time and another 32 delayed in Antwerp. In Zeebrugge, on the other hand, the queue was seven vessels to depart and four to arrive.
At the start of the strike, it was reported that Flemish pilotage services are operating between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., while work on board the vessels was limited from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
“This action will cause serious disruptions to the resumption of maritime transport to and from Antwerp and Zeebrugge with serious disruptions to arrivals and departures in the coming days,” said the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
