Dockworker unions at more than 100 ports across four continents are taking part in an international day of action on Friday against militarisation and Israel’s war in Gaza, according to the organisers.
Unions have called 24-hour strikes in France, Italy, India, Greece and Turkey. Dockworkers’ unions are also holding demonstrations and rallies in port cities, according to a statement from the Palestinian-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which has endorsed the action.
More than 25 unions from 22 countries are taking part, the statement said. They are joined by workers from other sectors, including seafarers and metalworkers. Action ranges from strikes to protests and other forms of solidarity at ports in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, depending on local conditions.
The unions are demanding an end to militarisation, to ‘Israel’s genocide against Palestinians‘, and to what they call US-Israeli wars of aggression. The day of action has been endorsed by 17 Palestinian trade unions and confederations.
Markos Bekris, president of the Greek dockworkers’ union ENEDEP, said in an earlier statement that unions representing tens of thousands of workers were taking a stand from Piraeus to Genoa and from Marseille to Istanbul. “Dockworkers do not work for war!” he said.
Jamal Juma, of the Palestinian Trade Union Coalition, said dockworkers who had blocked ships and arms shipments bound for Israel had shown the collective power of organised labour. He called on unions worldwide to demand an end to all military relations with Israel.
Sara Elettra, who coordinates maritime and energy embargo campaigns for the BDS movement, said more than 90% of Israel’s imports arrive by sea, making dockworkers a choke point for its economy.
She said governments were legally obliged to impose a full military embargo on Israel following the International Court of Justice’s 2024 rulings. “Where states fail to act, workers will,” she said.
The unions behind the action said the response from the public had been strong but stressed that the action was worker-led. They urged supporters to check whether any action was planned at their local port.