After twelve days of strikes in January and February 2025 across French ports, trade unions, notably the Fnpd-Cgt, have announced further action in March. Dockworkers are opposing the pension reform, which includes raising the retirement age for their sector. Beyond the pension issue, the strikes are also fuelled by widespread dissatisfaction with working conditions in the port sector. Workers are demanding higher wages, reduced working hours, and greater health and safety protections. Another source of tension is the privatisation of certain job functions, such as crane operators, which were previously managed publicly.
The strikes are affecting all ports, including the key container hubs of Marseille Fos and Le Havre, where container handling has significantly slowed down, impacting land transport as well. The disruption has extended to Italy, particularly affecting shipments from Morocco and Israel. Should the strikes persist in the coming weeks, shipping companies may opt to reroute container vessels to alternative ports in both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The logistics business association Tlf and the freight forwarders’ group Autf have voiced concerns over the economic repercussions of the ongoing strikes.
