The trade union action in the Flemish part of North Sea Port that started on Tuesday 10 March 2026 was fully lifted on Friday 13 March. On this page you can find a timeline of this strike.
The backlog in shipping traffic caused by the actions has now been cleared.
Shipping traffic wishing to leave the port is gradually getting underway. The number of ships waiting at sea remains virtually unchanged.
For shipping on the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, the impact is as follows:
For shipping in Vlissingen and the Braakmanhaven:
Together with Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Alfaport and VEGHO, North Sea Port submitted a petition yesterday, 11 March 2026, regarding the consequences of the strike actions, to lift the blockade of shipping in the Scheldt estuary and the approach area of the port of Antwerp – and by extension the port of Ghent.
The consequences of this blockade are disproportionate and seriously jeopardise shipping and the supply of goods to businesses.
On 11 March 2026, the Court of First Instance in Antwerp deemed the claim admissible and well-founded. Given that the Court of First Instance in Antwerp did not rule on a measure concerning Ghent, a similar petition was filed today, 12 March, with the Court of First Instance in Ghent. The court also declared this claim admissible and well-founded today.
On this basis, the Agency for Maritime Services and Coast (MDK) must ensure a minimum service for the Pilotage and Shipping Assistance departments.
This means, at a minimum, that:
The court also prohibits anyone from obstructing or hindering the access of ships to and from the port of Ghent and the companies located there in the port of Ghent (or the port's approach area) to obstruct or impede the access of ships to and from the port of Ghent and the companies established there, or to prevent or impede compliance with the order imposed on the Agency for Maritime Services and Coast.
Any infringement will result in a penalty of 1,000 euros per hour.
There are industrial actions at the Rededienst in Vlissingen, which is responsible for transporting pilots to ships at sea. Due to the industrial actions, there are few to no Flemish pilots available, which means that the number of ships waiting is increasing even further.
Currently, 19 ships are affected by the actions.
The impact on shipping on the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal is as follows:
For shipping in Vlissingen and the Braakmanhaven:
For several days now, industrial action has been having a major impact on shipping. The North Sea Port authority continues to regret that shipping traffic in the Flemish part of the port is being increasingly affected.
This is putting the supply of goods to businesses and industry under increasing pressure. As the industrial action continues, the consequences will also increase.
The Traffic Control Centre of the Flemish Agency for Maritime Services and Coast (MDK) in Zeebrugge is operational again in the early morning (by court order). The “Wandelaar” pilot crossing point is also back in operation. Some of the Flemish pilots are still on strike, which means they cannot be deployed for arrivals and departures to Ghent. Dutch pilots are able to serve seagoing vessels.
For shipping on the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, the impact is as follows:
This number has doubled in one day.
For shipping in Vlissingen and the Braakmanhaven:
The North Sea Port Authority continues to regret that shipping traffic in the Flemish part of the port is still unable to operate normally. This is increasingly jeopardising the supply of goods to businesses and industry. As the industrial action continues, the consequences will also increase.
Shipping traffic has been affected by trade union action at the Traffic Control Centre in Zeebrugge (as of Monday, 9 March) and the pilots’ strike in Flanders (as of Tuesday, 10 March).
At North Sea Port we sincerely regret that shipping traffic in both the Flemish and Dutch part of our port can’t flow as smoothly as you’re used to and that supply chains are jeopardised.
Situation report on the Ghent sub-area of North Sea Port:
Situation in the Vlissingen and Terneuzen sub-areas of North Sea Port:
As trade union actions and the pilots’ strike continue, we’ll monitor their impact closely and keep you posted as soon as new updates are available.
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