A strike by lashers in the Port of Rotterdam on Wednesday could shut down the port, the union FNV said.
The union is demanding a 7 percent wage increase and that wages rise in line with inflation. Port companies will not go along with that, FNV said.
“Because of the storm of last Saturday and Sunday, the port is quite full of ships that all have to be loaded or unloaded,” said FNV director Niek Stam. “Those ships can’t go to sea if they are not lashed down and when ships come in they can’t be unloaded.”
Port of Rotterdam said it was worried about the consequences of the strike, a spokesman told ANP. It would disrupt the logistics process at the port, the spokesman said.
Shippers ensure that cargo is properly secured on ships. In the port of Rotterdam this mainly involves securing containers, using clamps, rods or lashing straps.
