Three-day strike: Shipping halted at North Sea Port as pilot services walk out
The nationwide strike is severely disrupting operations at North Sea Port. Industrial action at the Agency for Maritime Services and the Coast has made it impossible to arrange pilotage via the Zeebrugge traffic control centre since Monday, with the facility remaining shut until 7:30 on Wednesday.
Flemish pilotage in Vlissingen has been at a complete standstill since 12:30 on Monday, leaving ships unable to enter or leave the port unless they rely on a Dutch pilot.
By Monday night, around 50 vessels were waiting in Belgian seaports and offshore due to the stoppage. Pilot services normally transport pilots to incoming and outgoing ships on the Scheldt, but on Tuesday only a single pilot vessel will operate between midnight and 7:30 and again from 19:30 to midnight.
North Sea Port has warned that the walkout could undermine maritime safety and says it regrets the disruption.
Passenger transport
Passenger water transport is also being hit. The Sint-Anna ferry will be out of service on Tuesday between 7:00 and midnight and again on Wednesday until 19:00. The Bazel-Hemiksem ferry will not run on Tuesday, while the Kruibeke-Hoboken route will be suspended on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning between 5:00 and 7:00. The Terdonk ferry will be halted from 7:00 on Wednesday, and the Schellebelle ferry will not operate on Tuesday 25 November.
Belgium’s three major unions - ABVV, ACV and ACLVB - have called the three-day strike in protest at government policy, beginning with rail action on Monday, a shutdown across public services on Tuesday and a general nationwide strike on Wednesday. Workers at public transport operators De Lijn, STIB/MIVB and TEC have also been urged to join the walkout for all three days.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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