Dockworkers at 113 ports across 22 countries are planning strike action on Friday, 30 October, over arms shipments, according to organisers, in a coordinated protest reported by Reuters on 29 October. The action is planned, not yet an outcome, and its actual impact remains to be seen.

More than 25 unions are backing the action, organisers say. Named hubs include Hamburg, Valencia, Le Havre, Algeciras, Piraeus and Genoa, as well as Morocco's Tangier Med and India's Nhava Sheva.

What organisers claim

Organisers say the action could disrupt more than 40% of Mediterranean cargo and snarl more than $2 billion in freight. Those are organisers' estimates, not confirmed losses, and early indications point to uneven effects: Genoa port was expected to see only limited impact, while Piraeus warned of ferry disruption, with a reported stoppage from 0800 to 1100 GMT.

In Italy, the USB union called a 24-hour general strike for the same day, with protests planned in more than 40 cities, and Greek ferries were expected to remain docked during the action.

Where the protest comes from

The unions involved come from Italy, France, Greece, Spain's Basque Country, Turkey and Morocco, among others, and the action follows the May 2026 Istanbul Declaration on ports and weapons transport. The protest is directed at the handling of arms shipments through civilian ports, a question that has divided port workers, shipping firms and governments across the Mediterranean.

Sources: Reuters; Baird Maritime.