News / Maersk skips call at Rotterdam as labour issues bring delay

Labour unrest at the port of Rotterdam has exposed long-standing issues and diminishing hopes of a resolution to backlogs and congestion in the near term.

Maersk told customers yesterday it would be omitting a call at the Hutchinson Port Delta II terminal on Monday, because of “unplanned strike action” at the facility.

Workers represented by the FNV Havens and CNV unions have been locked in dispute with the Chinese terminal operator since the second half of last year over port automation concerns.

The latest strike action began on Sunday and ended yesterday, and reports claim Hutchison has been forced to close the terminal gates due to overcrowding.

Contract negotiations began in November but hit a wall, with further strikes threatened until agreement is reached, and while Maersk told customers it would “continue to monitor the situation,” hopes of a quick resolution are fading.

One source told The Loadstar congestion from the work stoppages was “simply an aggravation of an already very congested situation in Rotterdam”.

The source added: “Terminals are full and refusing to take in containers unless equivalent volumes are being moved out,” and port authorities have not responded to requests for comment on the severity of the issue.

In recent years, sources in inland navigation have told The Loadstar inefficient barge networks were compounded by congestion at Europe’s largest container gateway. Today, inland operator Contargo reported congestion of 76 hours at Rotterdam and delays at Antwerp of 70 hours.