Congestion clears at Antwerp-Bruges as post-strike operations resume

After over two weeks of pilot actions that severly impacted maritime activity at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the point of entry is fully operational and presents almost no congestion. 

On an update posted on the port's website, authorities informed that "there is no longer any congestion for outgoing vessels, and the backlog for incoming vessels has almost been cleared."

Port officials say that as of Monday morning (October 20) there are still 23 vessels without a confirmed schedule and 15 others experiencing delays. Meanwhile, in Zeebrugge, operations are no longer affected.

Pilot actions could eventually return to Antwerp 

Port pilots are essential workers in maritime points of entry, as they are in charge of boarding vessels and guiding them safely in and out of the quay. 

Since early October, professional associations (AvK, BvL, and OVL) and unions (ACOD, ACV, and VSOA) representing port pilots have jointly carried out a new wave of actions in protest against the Belgian goverment's pension reform announcements made earlier this year. The first one dates from March this year. 

After ten days of protests, the Flemish government granted a ten-day reprieve, until October 24, to demonstrate its willingness to "achieve a final agreement by the end of November at the latest,"  according to a statement by the professional associations and unions issued on October 14.

Pilot actions halted after that, but the unions still worked under "maximum rest," a form of weaponized compliance that made it difficult for the port to work through the accumulated backlog. 

There's still no agreement between the unions and the Flemish goverment, so actions at the point of entry could resume by the end of the week. 

The stopagge at Antwerp-Bruges has costed the logistics chain millions of euros, though there is no exact calculation at the moment.

*All images courtesy of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges

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