Rotterdam Strike Action to Impact Christmas?

A series of 24-hour strikes could take place at the Port of Rotterdam during December, 2015 after a number of port workers voted against possible job cuts that could come to fruition at the port.

According to Reuters, the strikes were triggered after two automated container terminals were commissioned for the port, which could see the loss of up to 700 jobs in 2017.

Read a Technical Paper by Francois Bello of Euromax Terminal on the evolution of the Euromax Terminal in Rotterdam

Sjaak Poppe, a Spokesman for the Port of Rotterdam, said: “The employers have said that they think that demand is not realistic, something of a different era.”

Niek Stam, leader of the FNV Havens union, said that in order to guarantee zero lay-offs of workers, the union had voted in favour of the strikes, which would take place over three days in December and an additional three days in January, 2016.

The Port of Rotterdam recently announced that it will be increasing its port tariffs by 0.5% in 2016.

The port has also been involved with a massive strategic partnership recently with The Bank of China in a bid to boost trade links in Europe in collaboration with the One Belt, One Road initiative.

The pandemonium strikes can force on ports and local, and even national, economies was witnessed in the winter of 2014/15 on the US West Coast.

At one stage the strikes were so extreme that even President Obama and his staff had to intervene.

A still of the Port of Rotterdam. (Source: iStock)