25 ships waiting due to industrial action maritime pilots

Maritime pilots affiliated with the socialist trade union ACOD are taking industrial action from Friday against the federal government’s pension reforms. By Friday afternoon, 25 ships were already waiting in the ports of Antwerp, Ghent, Zeebrugge, and in the North Sea. At Volvo Car Ghent, on the other hand, production is set to resume on Friday evening following the end of the strike at supplier Plasman.

“The ACOD pilots will take industrial action from Friday 5 June and will also take the maximum rest period,” the Maritime Services and Coast Agency announced on Friday morning. The port of Antwerp immediately issued a warning of disruption. Consequently, there has been a significant shortage of Belgian maritime pilots throughout the day. The industrial action is set to continue at least until 8 am on Saturday morning.

There were already several waves of strikes by the pilots at the start of this year and last year. They have been negotiating for a very long time over a reorganisation of their professional status, and this regularly causes tensions.

The impact of the strikes last year was so significant that the Port of Antwerp could see the effect in its annual figures. At times last year, there were more than a hundred ships waiting.

Volvo Car Ghent resumes production

Volvo Car Ghent, on the other hand, will resume production on Friday evening following the end of the strike at supplier Plasman. The night shift will return to work at 7.35 pm.

Final assembly had been at a standstill since Tuesday evening due to a shortage of bumpers supplied by Plasman. Since the start of the production stoppage, nine consecutive shifts have been cancelled. Around 4,000 workers were placed on temporary unemployment.

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The strike at Plasman came to an end on Friday after the workers had voted on a social agreement. Although only 44 per cent of the workers voted in favour of the proposal, the agreement was nevertheless adopted because not enough workers voted to continue the strike.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Pilot boat next to a ship in the North Sea before the Belgian coast © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM}

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