Italian Ports Disrupted As Dockworkers Stage Strike Against Alleged Arms Shipments
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Ports across Italy faced major disruption on Wednesday as unionised dockworkers staged a 24-hour strike against the movement of weapons and the alleged militarisation of ports.
The action affected key ports including Livorno, Venice, Genoa, La Spezia, Ravenna, and Trieste, causing delays for ships and land transport.
The Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) organised the strike, saying it was aimed at shipments of military equipment, particularly those bound for Israel amid the conflict in Gaza.
Several container ships from Zim and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company were reported to be held offshore or diverted.
The Zim Virginia, reportedly carrying weapons, was stuck off Livorno and could not dock at the Terminal Darsena Toscana.
The Zim New Zealand remained at Fos-sur-Mer in France instead of Genoa, and the Zim Australia stayed in the Koper anchorage in Slovenia despite scheduled calls in Venice and Ravenna.
The MSC Eagle III, also coming from Israel, postponed port calls at Ravenna and Venice and headed to Koper.
USB said the strike blocked container and RoRo terminals in Genoa, causing congestion on roads and rail.
In La Spezia, the union reported a 78 percent stoppage in port operations.
In Trieste, intermodal services to Austria and Germany were also affected, adding to delays already caused by winter weather.
The union described the strike as part of an international effort, noting solidarity actions in Spain (Bilbao and Pasaia), Morocco (Tangier Med), Turkey (Mersin and Antalya), France (Marseille), Germany (Hamburg and Bremen), and Spain (Barcelona).
USB said the strike opposed arms trafficking, port privatisation, and the militarisation of ports.
According to USB, this was the first visible impact of an international campaign initially planned in 21 ports across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, which also received support from workers and activists across the Atlantic.
References: shippingitaly, avvenire
Source: Maritime Shipping News