Three-day strike brings major disruption to Flemish ports
More than 60 ships were left waiting off the Flemish coast on Tuesday morning as a three-day national strike continued to disrupt pilotage services. According to the Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services (MDK), 63 vessels were unable to enter or leave the ports of Antwerp, Ghent and Zeebrugge due to ongoing industrial action.
Rede services, which take pilots to large ships, joined the nationwide protest by public-sector workers against federal government measures. With Zeebrugge’s traffic control centre closed until 7:30 on Wednesday, no pilotage is possible via the Westpost route. Limited pilotage remains available via the Northpost, supported by Flemish and Dutch pilots.
The shortage is most acute on the Scheldt. Normally, a pilot boards ships near Vlissingen to guide them to Antwerp or Ghent, but only one Flemish pilot boat is operating on Tuesday. As of 9:00, 22 ships were waiting to depart Antwerp, seven in Ghent and one in Zeebrugge.
Offshore, 27 vessels were queueing to enter Antwerp, five to reach Ghent and one to access Zeebrugge. Only five ships were moving with a pilot on board.
Ports warn the impact will not ease quickly. “The disruption could last several days,” spokesperson Lennart Verstappen said to VRT NWS.
Belgium’s three major unions, ABVV, ACV and ACLVB, have called the three-day action, covering railways on Monday, public services on Tuesday and a general nationwide strike on Wednesday. Public transport operators De Lijn, STIB/MIVB and TEC are also hit as staff join the walkout.
#FlandersNewsService | A tug in the port of Antwerp © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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