Dockworkers’ unions in 22 countries and regions are preparing coordinated strikes and demonstrations on Friday, 30 October, in an international campaign opposing the use of civilian ports to transport weapons and other military supplies to conflict zones.
The mobilisation involves more than 25 trade unions representing workers at 113 ports, according to organisers, with planned actions extending across Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Major shipping centres expected to participate include Hamburg, Genoa, Le Havre, Valencia, Algeciras and Piraeus, alongside Morocco’s Tangier Med and India’s Nhava Sheva.
The scale of actual disruption remains uncertain.
Some unions have announced 24-hour stoppages, while others intend to organise shorter walkouts, demonstrations or symbolic protests.
Organisers have suggested that the action could affect more than 40 per cent of Mediterranean cargo traffic and freight worth over $2 billion.
However, these figures represent estimates of potential disruption rather than confirmed losses or cargo volumes that will necessarily be immobilised.
The initiative originated among dockworkers’ organisations in Italy, France, Greece, Spain’s Basque Country, Turkey and Morocco.
It subsequently attracted support from unions in northern Europe and several countries outside the Mediterranean region.
Among the participating organisations are Germany’s ver.di, France’s CGT Ports et Docks, Ireland’s SIPTU and Denmark’s 3F.
Indian maritime unions have also declared their support, citing the effects of armed conflict on commercial shipping and the safety of seafarers.
The campaign follows an international declaration agreed in Istanbul in May 2026, when dockworkers’ representatives called for ports to remain outside military supply operations.
The organisers argue that commercial transport infrastructure is increasingly being used to facilitate the movement of weapons and equipment to active conflict zones.
Their demands extend beyond any single war, although opposition to arms deliveries connected with the conflict involving Israel and the Palestinians has featured prominently in earlier industrial action.
Italy is expected to become one of the principal centres of Friday’s protests.
The Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) has called a nationwide general strike, with demonstrations planned in more than 40 cities.
Port workers are expected to participate in Genoa, Livorno, Trieste, Ravenna, Gioia Tauro and several other maritime centres.
Genoa has previously been associated with protests against the handling of military cargo, including shipments linked to Israel and American military facilities.
However, the port’s representatives have indicated that they expect only limited operational disruption from Friday’s action.
The distinction between planned participation and actual interruption of shipping is important.
Large ports operate through complex arrangements involving terminal operators, subcontractors, transport companies and different categories of employees.
Consequently, industrial action affecting one part of a port does not necessarily bring all commercial activity to a halt.
Greece is among the countries where the effects on passenger transport could be more immediate.
Dockworkers, engineers and seafarers’ unions have announced participation in the protests, with Greek ferry services expected to remain suspended for 24 hours.
At Piraeus, the country’s largest port, dockworkers have announced a three-hour stoppage.
Other Greek maritime unions intend to participate in longer strikes.
Disruption to ferry operations could affect travel between the Greek mainland and its islands, demonstrating how a campaign directed primarily against military cargo can also affect civilian transport.
The effects will depend on the precise participation of employees and the arrangements made by port and ferry operators.
The planned mobilisation draws attention to the relationship between military supply chains and civilian maritime infrastructure.
Commercial ports are essential to international trade, but they may also handle military vehicles, ammunition, equipment and other cargo connected with defence operations.
NATO members and other states depend on commercial transport networks for certain aspects of military logistics.
Military equipment may be transported aboard commercial vessels or through terminals that also process ordinary goods.
The use of such facilities is not inherently unlawful, and arms shipments may be authorised under national and international export-control arrangements.
Nevertheless, dockworkers’ organisations argue that employees should have a greater role in determining whether ports are used to facilitate military operations.
This creates potential tensions between industrial rights, contractual obligations, national security priorities and government decisions concerning defence exports.
The implications are particularly significant in Europe, where governments are expanding defence production and seeking to strengthen military supply chains.
Any sustained disruption to port logistics could complicate the movement of equipment and components, although the consequences of Friday’s planned action cannot yet be established.
The protest comes as European countries increase military spending and procurement in response to deteriorating security conditions.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Europe became the world’s largest arms-importing region over the 2021–2025 period.
The expansion of defence trade has increased the importance of transport infrastructure capable of handling military equipment.
It has also exposed disagreements over the political responsibilities of companies and workers involved in these supply chains.
For governments, the movement of defence equipment may form part of legitimate security commitments and international assistance programmes.
For participating unions, opposition to particular military shipments is presented as an extension of workers’ rights and their broader political objectives.
These competing positions are unlikely to be resolved through a single day of industrial action.
Friday’s mobilisation will provide an indication of how effectively unions can coordinate industrial action across different countries, legal systems and transport networks.
Its practical significance will depend on how many workers participate, which terminals suspend operations and whether shipping companies can maintain schedules through alternative arrangements.
The organisers have demonstrated their ability to coordinate protests across a geographically extensive network.
Whether that coordination translates into substantial disruption to international maritime trade remains to be seen.
For European governments and shipping operators, the immediate task will be to manage any interruption to commercial and passenger services.
The wider question is whether opposition to the use of civilian transport infrastructure for military logistics will become a recurring feature of industrial relations across Europe’s major ports.
WISTA International has grown beyond 6,500 members, extending its influence across global shipping as it looks to bring more women into an industry where senior positions and careers at sea remain overwhelmingly male-dominated.
President Elpi Petraki outlined the association’s achievements over the past year at its Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur this week, emphasising growing membership, closer ties with international maritime organisations and new opportunities for companies to become involved.
The meeting formed part of the WISTA International AGM and Conference 2026, taking place from October 28 to 30 under the theme ‘Bridging Borders, Driving Change: Asia Shaping the Future of Maritime and Trade’.
Co-hosted by WISTA Malaysia, WISTA Singapore and WISTA Hong Kong SAR China, the gathering brings together shipping executives, policymakers and industry professionals to examine the future of maritime trade, technology, sustainability and leadership.
For Petraki, the past 12 months have been particularly busy, with WISTA strengthening its relationships with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the United Nations, while taking a more active role in initiatives affecting the industry’s workforce.
Among those emphasised in her annual report were the Women in Transport EU Platform for Change, the UN Maritime Just Transition Task Force and UN Trade and Development’s TrainForTrade Port Management Programme.
WISTA has also continued working alongside the IMO on projects designed to improve opportunities for women across the maritime sector, from education and professional development to participation in industry decision-making.
Training has remained a particularly important part of that work. Through its partnership with the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, WISTA continues to offer scholarships that help members develop specialist shipping knowledge and commercial skills.
The arrangement, established in 2017, provides for five scholarships annually towards the Institute’s Foundation Diploma, covering subjects ranging from chartering and ship operations to maritime finance and port management.
Another programme has already delivered results this year. The IMO-WISTA-World Maritime University Gender-inclusive Leadership in Maritime Programme brought together 23 maritime professionals from 18 countries in 2026, combining online training with a residential course in Malmo, Sweden.
WISTA sponsored four participants, with the programme concentrating on leadership, project management, communication and the practical challenges of improving gender equality in maritime workplaces.
Meanwhile, the association has taken another step towards widening its membership by introducing a new category for businesses and institutions.
The associate membership scheme, formally launched in September, allows organisations involved in shipping, ports, logistics, transport, trading and energy to join WISTA’s international network even where they cannot become members through a national association.
Eligible organisations must operate in at least two countries and can nominate up to three representatives to participate in national WISTA activities.
To encourage participation, WISTA is offering complimentary membership until the end of 2026 to eligible organisations applying before December 31.
Petraki also reported the approval of two new members during the AGM.
Speaking when the new membership scheme was launched in September, she explained that interest from companies wishing to support WISTA had been increasing, although the existing structure had not always provided a suitable route.
“Broader collaboration with those sharing our vision is critical when tackling diversity and inclusion, as there is no one size fits all approach,” Petraki said.
The expansion comes as the maritime industry continues to face uncomfortable questions about how effectively it is attracting and retaining women.
According to the latest IMO-WISTA survey, published in May 2025, women accounted for just under 19 per cent of the maritime workforce surveyed, falling to 16 per cent in the private sector, excluding seafarers.
The situation at sea was considerably worse, with women representing just 1 per cent of seafarers employed by the organisations surveyed.
Those figures help explain why WISTA is putting so much effort into education, recruitment and leadership development, rather than relying on greater visibility alone.
Petraki herself addressed the wider challenge in an article published earlier this month, arguing that “inclusion is not about replacing men with women”, but about recognising the skills and experience available throughout the workforce.
The Kuala Lumpur conference is also examining these questions from a commercial perspective, with ICS Secretary General Thomas Kazakos among the leading speakers.
The programme includes discussions on building a future-ready maritime workforce, linking ships and ports with international trade and strengthening cooperation across the industry.
IMO programme officer Mariana Noceti and ICS director of employment affairs Helio Vicente are among those contributing to the workforce discussions, while a dedicated Women at Sea session gives female seafarers an opportunity to share their experiences and examine the obstacles that remain.
Cyprus has its own strong connection to WISTA’s international development. The island hosted the association’s 50th anniversary AGM and Conference in Limassol in October 2024, welcoming more than 350 delegates from the shipping, trading and logistics industries.
Petraki was re-elected president during that gathering, continuing a leadership history that includes former international president Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou of WISTA Cyprus.
The Cypriot association, currently led by Anna Pittalis, has remained active in promoting professional development, mentoring and greater female participation across the island’s maritime businesses.
A series of drone attacks on commercial shipping in the western Black Sea has brought the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine increasingly close to NATO territory, prompting additional military surveillance and renewed regional defence cooperation.
France has temporarily deployed an Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft to Romania, while NATO members bordering the Black Sea are strengthening arrangements to monitor shipping routes, identify airborne threats and protect critical infrastructure.
The French aircraft began operating from Romania’s Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase on 18 October and is scheduled to continue reconnaissance missions until 6 November.
Its deployment follows repeated attacks on merchant vessels near Romania and Bulgaria, both members of NATO and the European Union.
At least eight cargo ships have been struck in the region during October, with approximately 34 sailors reported dead or missing, according to figures reported by Reuters on 27 October.
The incidents have transformed commercial maritime security into an increasingly urgent issue for European defence planners.
The latest escalation has centred on shipping routes serving Ukraine’s Danube ports and commercial traffic passing through the western Black Sea.
Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian maritime infrastructure have increased the importance of alternative export routes, including those connecting the Danube to international shipping lanes.
However, recent incidents demonstrate that geographical proximity to NATO territory does not necessarily provide commercial vessels with protection from the effects of the conflict.
On 23 October, a drone struck a Comoros-flagged cargo vessel near the Romanian port of Constanța.
According to maritime security company Ambrey, the vessel was hit approximately 16 nautical miles east of the port and subsequently capsized.
One crew member was reported dead, nine were rescued and three remained missing in the initial casualty figures.
Ambrey assessed it as highly likely that Russian forces carried out the attack, pointing to the vessel’s links with Ukrainian Danube ports.
That assessment represents an attribution by a commercial security organisation, rather than a final determination by an international investigative body.
Other incidents have similarly raised questions over responsibility.
Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking civilian shipping, while Bulgarian authorities have acknowledged difficulties in conclusively identifying the operators of drones involved in some strikes.
Romania’s Defence Ministry announced on 27 October that the Atlantique 2 deployment followed a request from Bucharest in response to the deteriorating security situation.
The aircraft is conducting surveillance and reconnaissance over the western Black Sea, working with Romanian naval authorities and maritime rescue coordination services.
Its principal responsibilities include identifying hazards to navigation and improving awareness of threats to critical infrastructure within Romania’s exclusive economic zone.
That infrastructure includes offshore energy facilities and maritime installations whose protection is increasingly relevant to European energy security.
The deployment adds to Romanian naval patrols conducted by ships, helicopters and unmanned systems.
Romanian authorities are also providing navigational warnings and recommended routes to commercial vessels.
Nevertheless, additional surveillance does not automatically prevent attacks.
The practical challenge lies in detecting relatively small unmanned aircraft or maritime drones, determining their intentions and responding before they reach civilian targets.
The security crisis was also discussed at a trilateral meeting of defence ministers in Sofia on 28 October.
Romania’s Defence Minister, Ștefan-Radu Oprea, met his Bulgarian counterpart, Dimitar Stoyanov, and Turkey’s Defence Minister, Yaşar Güler, to examine the consequences of attacks on commercial shipping.
According to the Romanian Defence Ministry, the ministers discussed closer intelligence-sharing, improved maritime surveillance and better coordination between their naval forces.
They also reaffirmed the importance of the existing Black Sea mine-countermeasures initiative involving the three countries.
Maritime mines remain a persistent hazard because they can drift beyond their original deployment areas, endangering civilian vessels irrespective of their destination or ownership.
The trilateral format provides a practical mechanism for neighbouring countries to coordinate activities while retaining responsibility for their respective national waters.
It also gives Turkey a central role in regional discussions, reflecting its position on the Black Sea and its control of access through the Turkish Straits under the Montreux Convention.
The attacks raise a complicated legal and operational question: what responsibilities do NATO members have when civilian ships are attacked near their coastlines?
The distinction between territorial waters and an exclusive economic zone is important.
A coastal state’s territorial sea generally extends up to 12 nautical miles from its baseline, while its exclusive economic zone can extend considerably further and confers particular economic and jurisdictional rights.
An attack within a NATO member’s exclusive economic zone does not automatically constitute an armed attack against that member’s territory.
Nor does every strike on a civilian ship near NATO territory automatically trigger the collective-defence provisions of Article 5.
The circumstances, attribution, location and consequences of an incident would all influence the response.
This creates a security problem in which threats can affect European economic interests without necessarily crossing a threshold requiring collective military action.
The implications extend beyond individual vessels.
Repeated attacks can increase insurance costs, complicate shipping schedules and discourage operators from using particular routes.
They can also affect Ukrainian agricultural exports and the wider commercial networks linking Black Sea ports to European markets.
Offshore energy installations face related vulnerabilities, particularly where surveillance and response capabilities are insufficient.
For NATO, the challenge is therefore to strengthen deterrence and protection without unintentionally escalating the conflict.
France’s reconnaissance deployment and the trilateral cooperation between Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey indicate that regional governments are moving towards a more coordinated response.
However, the continuing attacks demonstrate the difficulties of protecting civilian maritime activity against comparatively inexpensive unmanned systems.
The longer-term question is whether increased surveillance, counter-drone capabilities and naval cooperation can make western Black Sea shipping sufficiently secure while the war in Ukraine continues.
Columbia Group has called on the shipping industry to do more to retain and promote women at sea, warning that recruitment alone is not enough to address the sector’s gender imbalance, as its second She Beyond Conference took place in Manila.
Held as part of Crew Connect Global, the conference brought together female seafarers to share experiences, build connections and explore how the industry can create more opportunities for women throughout their maritime careers.
Building on its inaugural event, She Beyond forms part of Columbia Group’s wider commitment to supporting its people, from their first steps into maritime through to senior leadership positions.
The initiative comes as women remain significantly underrepresented in the maritime workforce, particularly in seagoing roles.
According to the latest IMO–WISTA Women in Maritime Survey, published in May 2025, women account for just one per cent of seafarers employed by the organisations surveyed, highlighting the need for greater recruitment, retention and career development opportunities.
However, Columbia Group believes attracting more women into the profession is only part of the challenge, with greater attention needed to ensure they can remain in the industry and progress into senior positions.
Claudia Paschkewitz, Director of Sustainability, Inclusion and Diversity at Columbia Group, said the industry needed to reconsider how it measured progress.
“We have spent years talking about attracting more women into maritime, but recruitment is only the beginning,” she said, adding that “The real measure of progress is whether women have equal opportunities to stay, progress and build sustainable careers.”
Beyond recruitment figures, Paschkewitz also stressed the importance of examining whether women were receiving the support and opportunities needed to advance professionally. “We need to look beyond how many women join the industry and examine whether they are being supported, promoted and given the opportunity to reach senior positions,” she said.
For this reason, she argued that retention and career development should be treated as priorities, rather than secondary considerations. “If we are serious about gender equality, retention and career progression must receive the same attention as recruitment,” Paschkewitz added.
To help address these challenges, Columbia Group has introduced several initiatives aimed at supporting women throughout their maritime careers.
Its Female Cadet Mentorship Programme pairs women entering the profession with experienced mentors who provide practical advice, encouragement and support as they adjust to life at sea.
Meanwhile, through She Beyond, the company aims to build a wider community of female seafarers who can share experiences, learn from one another and maintain professional connections throughout their careers.
These efforts form part of Columbia’s broader investment in seafarer welfare, training and professional development, including career progression programmes and conferences designed to encourage the exchange of knowledge and experience.
The group’s support also extends beyond the workplace, including assistance for crew members and their families affected by the war in Ukraine, recognising that sustainable maritime careers depend on the wellbeing of seafarers and their families.
Alongside professional development, Columbia has placed particular emphasis on the practical needs of women working onboard vessels.
Its iCare Packs for Women Seafarers, which provide medical readiness and personal care essentials, are intended to address some of the everyday challenges faced by female crew members.
Nevertheless, the company maintains that such measures must go hand in hand with respectful workplace cultures, clear career development opportunities and greater accountability for ensuring women are treated fairly throughout their careers.
This emphasis on longer-term support was also reflected in the comments of Simona Toma, Chief of Maritime HR at Columbia Group, who stressed the importance of hearing directly from women working at sea.
“She Beyond provides an important opportunity to listen to the experiences of our female seafarers and understand what more we can do to support them,” Toma said, while making clear that supporting women must extend well beyond their first appointment onboard a vessel.
Indeed, as she pointed out, “Our responsibility does not end when a female cadet joins her first vessel.”
Instead, Columbia’s focus is on helping women develop the experience and skills needed to advance professionally, with Toma adding “We must ensure she has the support, encouragement and opportunities to develop into an experienced officer and, ultimately, a maritime leader.”
Europe needs to rethink its energy strategy as growing renewable energy capacity has failed to deliver the expected reduction in electricity costs and market volatility, former Energy Minister Natasa Pilides told a gathering of maritime and business professionals in Limassol.
Speaking at the Cyprus Marine Club’s October Get-Together last week, Pilides examined the challenges facing Europe’s energy sector, arguing that greater flexibility and a more balanced approach are needed to strengthen competitiveness.
The event, held at Gazebo Mare in Limassol, brought together more than 100 members, guests and professionals from the maritime, energy and wider business communities.
Pilides, who made history as Cyprus’ first Shipping Deputy Minister before serving as Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, delivered a presentation entitled The Energy Trilemma: Trade-Offs Shaping the European Landscape.
Drawing on her experience in both government and business, she examined the difficult balance between energy security, affordability, sustainability and competitiveness, particularly as Europe continues its transition towards cleaner energy.
According to Pilides, expanding renewable energy generation alone is insufficient to address the challenges facing European energy markets.
She argued that the importance of developing appropriate supporting infrastructure had been largely overlooked in European policymaking, with increases in renewable energy capacity consequently failing to bring the anticipated reductions in price volatility, uncertainty and energy bills.
As a result, she called for a change of approach at both European and regional level to address these shortcomings and improve competitiveness.
Her remarks also carried particular relevance for shipping and energy companies, where investment decisions often involve substantial capital commitments and long-term planning.
In these sectors, Pilides stressed the importance of maintaining flexibility in investment strategies, allowing businesses to respond to changing market conditions instead of remaining tied to decisions that may eventually become outdated.
Beyond the energy debate, the gathering also reflected the continued expansion of the Cyprus Marine Club, which has strengthened its professional network across the island’s maritime and wider business sectors.
Opening the evening, the club’s president, Capt. Eberhard Koch, welcomed members and guests, thanking them for their continued involvement and support.
He also announced the addition of three new corporate members, PwC, Orbyt Global Group and SOPIVERI Consulting Ltd, alongside two new individual members.
With these additions, the club’s membership has grown to nearly 200, including 114 corporate entities, further expanding its network of maritime and business professionals.
Koch also outlined the club’s programme of forthcoming activities through July 2027, combining professional presentations with networking and social events.
Among the events scheduled are the CMC Countryside Escape – The Farmakas Experience on November 14, the Christmas Networking Evening on December 3 and the New Year’s Gala at Parklane in Limassol on January 23, 2027.
Meanwhile, the evening provided an opportunity for participants to exchange views on the challenges facing the maritime and energy industries, while strengthening professional relationships across the two sectors.
Through its regular gatherings, the Cyprus Marine Club continues to bring together industry representatives and business leaders to discuss developments affecting shipping, energy and the wider economy.
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