Ports in Belgium are once again experiencing disruption as a result of a national strike organised by the ABVV-ACOD union. This is the third strike to affect the country’s transport and logistics network since March.

Today’s strike targets the public sector and is part of continued opposition to the De Wever government’s austerity and reform plans.

With no resolution to the dispute in sight, further delays and disruptions remain a strong possibility in the weeks ahead.

Antwerp-Bruges

At 09:15 on Tuesday morning, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges reported significant disruption, particularly at the locks:

Zandvliet Lock and Kieldrecht Lock: operational, but only for vessels up to 180 metres in length
Van Cauwelaert Lock: available for inland navigation
Kallo Lock and Boudewijn Lock: unavailable due to strike action
Berendrecht Lock: closed for scheduled maintenance
Tidal terminals: operating without disruption

A total of 14 seagoing vessels are waiting to enter the port, while 11 are delayed in leaving. Inland navigation is possible, but limited due to reduced lock capacity.

Towage services are available but operating at around 70% capacity. Pilotage services are also affected. Shipping assistance services are running at reduced levels, though port authorities state this has not yet had a significant impact. However, delays to operations at the locks are contributing to growing congestion.

Precautionary measures

Terminal operator PSA Antwerp had already implemented precautionary steps ahead of the strike. From 22:00 on Monday, 19 May until 06:00 on Wednesday, 21 May, export container deliveries by truck have been suspended. Only import collections are being processed during this period. To help mitigate the disruption, the Europa Terminal (K869) and Noordzee Terminal (K913) will be open to all truck traffic during the first shift on Saturday, 24 May.

Limited impact in Zeebrugge and North Sea Port

In Zeebrugge, port operations are largely unaffected. As of 09:15, only one outbound seagoing vessel was reported delayed. However, the inland navigation lock to Bruges is closed and will not reopen until 06:00 on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, North Sea Port, which spans the border between Ghent (Belgium) and Vlissingen (Netherlands), has not reported any significant disruption so far. Nonetheless, authorities there are continuing to monitor the situation closely.