RISING inflation and Covid crisis lockdown have caused unionised labour within containerised supply chains meant for industrial action, reports IHS Media.
European transport unions in June held a series of 24-hour 'warning strikes' in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Lower Saxony amid collective wage agreement discussion.
National strikes in Belgium shut down Brussels Airport and slowed cargo flow at the port of Antwerp, Europe's second-busiest container gateway.
Unions in Italy, Spain, France, and Malta have also announced strike actions.
Furthermore, a national UK rail strike over pay, the first in 27 years, has crippled the network.
Container shipping disruption tied to the Covid crisis demonstrated how critical it is for goods.
Yet, for many freight workers, their pay hasn't matched the increases in prices of everything.
Global consumer inflation is currently at seven per cent, according to S&P Global, the parent company of JOC.com.
'You've got a bit of a perfect storm for industrial unrest, and I'd go a step further, social unrest, without advocating for it,' said International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) general secretary Stephen Cotton.
The ITF sees an opening to push for safer conditions, increased training, and higher wages across the supply chain.
'By necessity, we have gotten smarter - it's about Point A to Point B. It's not just a docker in Long Beach; it could be a warehouse worker in Berlin or a railway operator in China,' said Mr Cotton.
Meanwhile, if automation isn't the main point in labour talks, it's at least being discussed.
SeaNews Turkey
European transport unions in June held a series of 24-hour 'warning strikes' in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Lower Saxony amid collective wage agreement discussion.
National strikes in Belgium shut down Brussels Airport and slowed cargo flow at the port of Antwerp, Europe's second-busiest container gateway.
Unions in Italy, Spain, France, and Malta have also announced strike actions.
Furthermore, a national UK rail strike over pay, the first in 27 years, has crippled the network.
Container shipping disruption tied to the Covid crisis demonstrated how critical it is for goods.
Yet, for many freight workers, their pay hasn't matched the increases in prices of everything.
Global consumer inflation is currently at seven per cent, according to S&P Global, the parent company of JOC.com.
'You've got a bit of a perfect storm for industrial unrest, and I'd go a step further, social unrest, without advocating for it,' said International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) general secretary Stephen Cotton.
The ITF sees an opening to push for safer conditions, increased training, and higher wages across the supply chain.
'By necessity, we have gotten smarter - it's about Point A to Point B. It's not just a docker in Long Beach; it could be a warehouse worker in Berlin or a railway operator in China,' said Mr Cotton.
Meanwhile, if automation isn't the main point in labour talks, it's at least being discussed.
SeaNews Turkey
