Maritime pilot strikes cause long delays in Flemish ports, minister urges return to work
Flemish Ports minister Annick De Ridder has urged maritime pilots to end their actions and return to the negotiating table, as nearly 100 ships were waiting to enter or leave Flemish ports. Belgian pilots are striking due to a federal pension reform.
During the ongoing actions, maritime pilots are only working limited hours, disrupting vessel scheduling and increasing waiting times. Inland shipping traffic has also been affected, with several shipping companies forced to replan routes or delay cargo deliveries.
“The impact is significant,” said a spokesperson for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges on Tuesday, confirming that around 100 ships were waiting to enter or leave the ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ghent.
The pilots’ actions stem from discontent over the government’s pension reform. According to calculations by the socialist union ACOD, younger maritime pilots could see their pensions cut by up to 45 percent. Pilots are also angered that their pensions are not treated in the same way as those of other salaried workers.
A provisional deal was reached this summer between the federal government and the pilots’ service, but it merely confirmed existing arrangements, with a definitive agreement postponed until after the summer.
Ministers and pilots argue
Federal Pensions minister Jan Jambon and Flemish Ports minister Annick De Ridder say they had agreed with the Professional Association of Pilots (BvL) to conclude a framework deal by the end of November, covering pensions, seniority recognition, and accident compensation.
“The BvL and I had agreed to reach a principled agreement by the end of November,” De Ridder said on Tuesday. “I call on the pilots to suspend their actions and resume discussions in good faith.”
“I call on the pilots to suspend their actions and resume discussions in good faith”
But representatives of the association for maritime pilots said they were "still waiting for a political response to their request for new negotiations" from the cabinets of Jambon and De Ridder.
Belgium counts around 300 maritime pilots. The pilots guide large vessels safely into and out of the country’s ports.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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