National authorities and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges began preparations on Monday afternoon, April 28, to bring port traffic to an orderly stop due to a strike by workers against the government. They said 25 ships were waiting to depart with another 31 waiting to enter, but expected that all traffic would be halted. The strike began Monday evening at 1930 and was to continue until 0730 on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Antwerp-Bruges was reporting that a total of 74 ships were waiting. In Antwerp, 38 vessels were unable to depart, while on the North Sea, 36 vessels were waiting, all heading for Antwerp.
Port officials warned that it would take at least one to two days to clear up the backlog.
Read more in an article from The Maritime Executive.
