Continued Labour Disputes at French Ports Cause Significant Disruptions to Northern European Regions.

20 February 2025•Article

Following recent French port labour union strikes, further industrial action is expected to continue intermittently throughout February.

Following recent French port labour union strikes, further industrial action is expected to continue intermittently throughout February. Additional disruptions are also to be expected in Northern European regions such as Antwerp and Rotterdam.

Dockers and port staff at Saint-Nazaire, Montoir, and Nantes will stage an additional 24-hour strike from 06:00 local time on 21 February to 06:00 on 22 February.

A 48-hour strike is also planned for 26-27th February, with potential port blockades on 27th February.

Northern European regions are experiencing significant disruptions due to labour disputes at key ports. Woodland Group has noted that the US and Asia services calling to mainland EU ports will be affected.

Ongoing strikes have caused congestion at the Port of Rotterdam (Netherlands), with further actions to be expected that could vary from slowdowns to full walkouts, potentially occurring without prior warning. Rotterdam, being one of Europe’s largest ports, plays a crucial role in global trade, and the strikes are creating significant backlogs and supply chain disruptions.

Last week’s strike action has resulted in ongoing delays, as terminals have been struggling with a backlog of containers after the strikes slowed down operations last week. The labour action has also impacted vessel schedules, leading to further shipping delays alongside overall delays on the supply chain. The situation is still evolving, and additional disruptions are expected if the labor dispute persists.

Antwerp’s (Belgium) main container terminal is also facing severe congestion. It has been reported that their stacking capacity is being fully utilised, and export delivery truck slots are being reduced to 30% to prioritise the removal of import containers. Berth priorities are being modified to speed up the clearance of export and transhipment containers, and the terminal is rejecting additional import or transhipment cargo from nearby ports due to port call changes.

To read more about the Le Havre’s 4-hour work stoppages, see here:

https://www.woodlandgroup.com/news/french-port-unions-initiate-strikes-over-pension-reforms

Woodland Group will continue to closely monitor the developments and will provide customers with any relevant updates as the situation evolves.

Should you have any questions, please contact your local woodland representative or a member of the team here.