Maritime pilots' action could cause delays for ships trying to dock
Pilots and other maritime workers are protesting against the government's pension plans. The protest began on Thursday evening and may cause delays and long waiting times for ships that want to dock in Flemish ports.
The pilots are protesting against the pension reforms of the government of prime minister Bart De Wever. According to Eddy Hendryckx of the socialist union ACOD, which organised the action, the pensions of young seafarers will be cut from 2,400 euros to 1,900 euros, and young pilots risk losing up to 45 per cent of their pensions.
For the time being, the pilots are not on strike but are taking the maximum amount of rest allowed by law. This caused some delays on Thursday evening as ships trying to leave the port of Antwerp had to wait longer than planned. These delays have now been resolved.
As of this morning, at least 22 ships were waiting in the North Sea to dock in the ports of Antwerp or Ghent. "We are of course doing our best to help these ships as quickly as possible and to keep waiting times as short as possible," Daphne Vanhoucke of Flanders' Maritime and Coastal Services told VRT.
According to the Port of Antwerp, it is difficult to predict how the situation will develop. While the pilots are still working, Hendryckx expects work to come to a complete standstill in the next few days. Other unions have not yet joined the action.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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