Dockworkers across ports stage walkouts over weapons shipments

Dockworkers walked off the job at ports across Europe on Friday, part of a coordinated push against the movement of weapons through their facilities. Union organizers said more than 100 ports in multiple countries joined the effort. In France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey and Morocco, unions issued a joint call demanding an end to wars in the Middle East, including the conflict in Gaza, along with what they described as an end to the militarization of ports. "Ports must not be used for the transport of weapons, ammunition, military equipment and troops," the statement said. "Dockworkers do not work for war!"

In Greece, the ENEDEP dockworkers' union called a strike at Piraeus, the country's largest port. A separate seafarers' strike over pay, working conditions and safety measures kept ships docked at several ports and disrupted ferry service. In Istanbul, demonstrators assembled outside Haydarpasa port under a banner reading: "No to war, no to armament!"

In Italy, the union Unione Sindacale di Base scheduled demonstrations at Genoa, Trieste and Gioia Tauro. Those actions coincided with a nationwide general strike called by major unions over rising living costs, low wages and military spending. France's CGT ports and docks federation called a one-day strike at Le Havre, Marseille, Dunkirk and Rouen, rejecting the militarization of port facilities under European policies and objecting to French budget proposals the union says would threaten social protections.

The scope of the disruption was not yet clear. Organizers said actions ranged from full-day strikes to shorter walkouts and demonstrations. C.H. Robinson, a supply chain management company, advised clients that operational disruptions and shipment delays may occur at participating ports, with duration and severity varying by port, terminal and level of local participation.

Marcus Baker, global head of marine, cargo and logistics for insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh, said a 24-hour strike is unlikely to cause material disruption to global trade flows, though it could affect perishable goods and time-sensitive shipments. He said it adds another layer of complexity to supply chains already under pressure from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, climate-related events including El Nino, restrictions affecting the Rhine and the Panama Canal, and shifting tariff regimes. Judah Levine, head of research for online shipping marketplace Freightos, said vessels at Genoa are already waiting one to two days for a slot and the strike could worsen congestion. Ed Anderson, a professor of supply chain and operations management at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, said the movement was not expected to cause outright shortages. "Just one day is not that much in terms of disruption," he said.