Strike! 49 ships are waiting in Antwerp port! 

Recently, a large-scale strike by public sector workers in Flanders, Belgium, caused serious disruption to shipping traffic in inland waterways in the region and affected the operation of Antwerp, the second largest container port in Europe.

As unions VSOA and ACOD respond to changes to Flanders civil service regulations, actions by pilots and public service workers have spread to Flanders, Belgium, causing port locks to close and block.

Forty-nine ships were reported to be waiting in Antwerp to dock or depart, and there could be fears of a ripple effects on the wider supply chain if the strike continues. 

Ise Remy, Flanders team coordinator from ACV Public Service Alliance, explained:"If there is no pilot on board, then the ship cannot enter or leave the port. This will definitely have a significant impact on all seaports in Flanders.

In the face of the pilot strike, Hapag-Lloyd warned that congestion could lead to delays and disruptions to shipping plans, but told customers it was "keeping a close eye on the situation".

At the same time, Maersk also said in the customer notice that the waiting time is expected to be at least 48 hours, and the ship plan will be further adjusted, saying that many ships will be affected. 

罢工！49艘船舶在安特卫普港等待！

       近期，比利时佛兰德斯公共部门工人的大规模罢工，造成该地区内河航道的航运交通严重中断，并且影响到欧洲第二大集装箱港口安特卫普的运营。

       随着工会VSOA和ACOD对佛兰德斯公务员法规的改革做出回应，引航员和公共服务工作者的行动已经蔓延到比利时佛兰德斯，导致港口船闸关闭和堵塞。

       据报道，有49艘船在安特卫普等待靠港作业或离开，如果罢工继续下去，可能会对更广泛的供应链产生连锁反应的担忧。

       来自ACV公共服务联盟的佛兰德斯团队协调员IIse Remy说：“如果没有引航员上船，那么船就不能进出港口。这肯定会对佛兰德斯地区的所有海港产生重大影响。

       面对此次引航员罢工，赫伯罗特(Hapag-Lloyd)警告称，拥堵可能导致航运计划的延误和中断，但该公司告诉客户，它正在“密切关注情况”。

       与此同时，马士基也在客户通知里表示，预计等待时间至少为48小时，船舶计划也将进一步调整，并称有多艘船舶受到影响。