Shippers are reportedly looking to alternative ports as the strike at Poland's largest container facility, the Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) in Gdynia, continues.
Operations at the southern Baltic Sea region's largest container facility have been disrupted for close to two weeks and, "as a result... some clients are seeking transshipment options elsewhere," BCT chief executive officer Johannes De Jong has been reported as saying.
It is believed that up to 500 workers are currently on strike for a 21% increase in average wage levels. These workers say that the pay increases are necessary to cope with higher living costs.
The 500 workers, represented by the ITF-affiliated Polish unions Komisja Miedzyzakladowa NSZZ “Solidarnosc” Portu Gdynia and Komisja Zakladowa NSZZ “Solidarnosc” Baltycki Terminal Kontenerowy, began an indefinite strike on March 20 after rejecting an initial increase offer of 8%.
De Jong has accused the workers of "blackmailing clients" and said "that is never the way forward."
Reports have pointed to neighbouring Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH)'s Gdynia Container Terminal, the much smaller Gdansk Container Terminal and Deepwater Container Terminal (DCT) Gdansk, as facilities likely to benefit from clients unhappy with the suspended services at BCT.
The newly built DCT Gdansk, which is majority-owned by the Macquarie Global Infrastructure Fund II, aims to be a regional container shipping hub like HPH's Gdynia Container Terminal and BCT.
Owned by global container terminal operator International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), BCT, together with its host port of Gdynia, move more than 90% of Poland's maritime container cargo.
BCT handled a record 500,000 TEUs in 2007.
According to De Jong, “the dispute is now not only about the salary issue but is enlarged by new demands that concern compensation during the strike and internal matters relating to the management and organization of the terminal.”
“Each party is sticking to its position,” he added.
Operations at the southern Baltic Sea region's largest container facility have been disrupted for close to two weeks and, "as a result... some clients are seeking transshipment options elsewhere," BCT chief executive officer Johannes De Jong has been reported as saying.
It is believed that up to 500 workers are currently on strike for a 21% increase in average wage levels. These workers say that the pay increases are necessary to cope with higher living costs.
The 500 workers, represented by the ITF-affiliated Polish unions Komisja Miedzyzakladowa NSZZ “Solidarnosc” Portu Gdynia and Komisja Zakladowa NSZZ “Solidarnosc” Baltycki Terminal Kontenerowy, began an indefinite strike on March 20 after rejecting an initial increase offer of 8%.
De Jong has accused the workers of "blackmailing clients" and said "that is never the way forward."
Reports have pointed to neighbouring Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH)'s Gdynia Container Terminal, the much smaller Gdansk Container Terminal and Deepwater Container Terminal (DCT) Gdansk, as facilities likely to benefit from clients unhappy with the suspended services at BCT.
The newly built DCT Gdansk, which is majority-owned by the Macquarie Global Infrastructure Fund II, aims to be a regional container shipping hub like HPH's Gdynia Container Terminal and BCT.
Owned by global container terminal operator International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), BCT, together with its host port of Gdynia, move more than 90% of Poland's maritime container cargo.
BCT handled a record 500,000 TEUs in 2007.
According to De Jong, “the dispute is now not only about the salary issue but is enlarged by new demands that concern compensation during the strike and internal matters relating to the management and organization of the terminal.”
“Each party is sticking to its position,” he added.