Issue 384, January 17, 2003
Work stoppages spread across ports in the European Union starting on Friday with coordinated dockworker strikes closing all ports in Finland, Belgium and Spain, as well as the Port of Amsterdam. The German ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven were partially closed, and port operations in France were also affected, according to a January 17 report on the on-line version of The Journal of Commerce. It has also been reported that job actions over the next week may widen to ports in Britain, Finland, Denmark and Malta, among others.

The work stoppage may be most protracted in Spain, where it is being reported that all vessel arrivals and departures are expected to cease at least through January 24. Danzas AEI Intercontinental sources say that Spanish draymen moving freight between Spanish ports and inland points have said they intend to suspend all services effective January 17 and not resume them until January 27.

Dockworkers across the EU are protesting plans by the EU Executive Commission to bring in outside players to compete with union dockworkers in all service sectors at all EU ports. The executive commission has also proposed to allow ship owners to handle cargo on their own vessels.

There are reports that dockworkers at German ports have decided to strike in four-hour intervals on January 17, while workers elsewhere have decided on full-day stoppages.

The European parliament is scheduled to begin debate in the next few days over the port directive.

As with every labor dispute, the situation is fluid and events can change by the minute. Danzas AEI Intercontinental customers with freight scheduled to transit EU ports during the next seven days are strongly advised to contact their local office to receive the latest updates and schedule changes, and to discuss possible contingency plans for moving their goods.

Please note that due to the complex nature of the subject matter, DHL Danzas Air & Ocean cannot be responsible for actions taken by the reader in reliance on the information contained herein without prior consultation with DHL Danzas Air & Ocean.