Lashing workers strike halts container handling at the Port of Rotterdam

Started

2025-10-08 (8 October 2025)

Ended

2025-10-13 (13 October 2025)

Status

ended

Type

Labour action

Severity

2 Moderate

Scope

port

Chokepoints

None

Ports

Rotterdam

Lanes

None

Countries

Netherlands

Confidence

high: The start is confirmed by Maersk's customer advisory, and the court ordered return to work and settlement dates by the ITF, the federation of the striking union, with consistent reporting in two trade outlets.

First reported

2025-10-08 (8 October 2025)

• Severity basis: Terminal closure over 72 hours; container handling stopped at the principal Rotterdam container terminals from 2025-10-08 to 2025-10-13.

1. 2025-10-08Lashers at International Lashing Services and Matrans Marine Services stop work at 15:15 for a planned 48 hours, halting container operations at APM Terminals Maasvlakte II, Hutchison Ports Delta II, ECT Delta and Rotterdam World Gateway. [s1] [s4] [s5]
2. 2025-10-10With no agreement reached, FNV Havens extends the strike for an open ended period. [s1] [s6]
3. 2025-10-11A court orders the strike suspended from 07:00 on 2025-10-13 until 07:00 on 2025-10-17, leaving the union free to resume if no settlement is reached. [s2]
4. 2025-10-13Lashers return to work under the court order. The port authority reports 33 vessels at anchor, 15 of them deep sea container ships, and expects the backlog to last until the end of October. [s2] [s7]
5. 2025-10-16FNV Havens and the two lashing employers reach an agreement in principle on pay and working conditions. [s3]
6. 2025-10-17Union members vote to end the action, with a written ratification vote to follow over three weeks. [s3] [s8]

No corrections to this record as of 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026).

1. [s1] Maersk, Customer advisory: Strike action of lashing companies in Rotterdam, published 2025-10-08 (8 October 2025), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
2. [s2] International Transport Workers' Federation, Court intervenes in Rotterdam's biggest ever lasher strike, published 2025-10-15 (15 October 2025), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
3. [s3] International Transport Workers' Federation, Rotterdam lashers' strike wins new agreement, published 2025-10-17 (17 October 2025), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
4. [s4] gCaptain, 48-Hour Lashing Strike Halts Container Operations at Port of Rotterdam, published 2025-10-08 (8 October 2025), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
5. [s5] The Maritime Executive, Rotterdam Containerships Brought to Halt by Lashers' Strike, published 2025-10-08 (8 October 2025), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
6. [s6] The Maritime Executive, Rotterdam Container Ops Remain at Standstill as Lashers Extend Strike, published 2025-10-10 (10 October 2025), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
7. [s7] The Maritime Executive, Container Flow Resumes in Rotterdam as Court Orders Strikers Back to Work, published 2025-10-13 (13 October 2025), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
8. [s8] The Maritime Executive, Shipping Backlog Eases with Tentative Settlement in Rotterdam Strike, published 2025-10-17 (17 October 2025), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)