Dockworkers strike at 113 ports: 'We don't work for war'

Dockworkers' unions in 21 countries brought operations to a halt at 113 ports across five continents on Friday, staging a coordinated protest to oppose the militarization of commercial shipping facilities. The mobilization, which involved more than 25 trade unions, demanded that ports serve civilian needs rather than military operations under the banner "We don't work for war," according to 902, the Communist Party of Greece's news portal.

Strikes and demonstrations were reported in countries including Greece, France, Italy, India, Türkiye, Denmark, Sweden and Germany, disrupting cargo operations at major Mediterranean and North Sea harbors.

European port shutdowns

In Greece, the port of Piraeus witnessed a massive strike rally where demonstrators unfurled a large banner bearing the message: "Workers do not work for war." The mobilization also disrupted operations at Thessaloniki, where more than 200 containers and trucks were brought to a standstill during a three-hour work stoppage, while workers at Patras joined similar actions.

French dockworkers at the port of Fos-sur-Mer, west of Marseille, joined the mobilization under banners opposing war and the militarization of ports, while in Italy, workers in Reggio Calabria received support from local youth carrying banners and pickets. Young dockworkers and apprentices in Germany staged a solidarity demonstration at the Port of Hamburg.

Sweden's Port Workers' Union voiced opposition to the militarization of European ports and warned against using security legislation to restrict trade union activities, with Danish federations stating dockworkers should not be made complicit in wars or war crimes through the transport of weapons.

Weapons shipments to Israel

According to the No Harbour for Genocide campaign, several participating ports — including Genoa, Livorno and Gioia Tauro in Italy, Marseille in France, Piraeus in Greece and Tangier in Morocco — have been linked to weapons shipments to Israel. The campaign said it had tracked 315 shipments of components for Israel's largest arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, that passed through 56 commercial ports in 29 countries between August 2025 and September 2026.

Solidarity beyond Europe

In India, dockworkers and seafarers joined the international action, calling for "ports of peace and jobs with dignity" as they demanded that maritime facilities serve civilian rather than military logistics. The coordinated strikes highlighted growing resistance among transport workers to the use of commercial infrastructure for arms transfers fueling conflicts in the Middle East.