The port is paralyzed! All ports closed until April 8th! Maersk, Kuehne + Nagel issue warnings

SAK Chairman Jaco Eloranta said that the union has sought fair practices from the government, but the government has ignored it and is still implementing industrial policy goals that are unfavorable to employees. The union stressed that if the government understands the concerns of employees, it is willing to suspend the strike.

The scope of the strike is wide-ranging, with ship loading and unloading, container pickup and delivery operations completely suspended. Air and land transportation logistics will also be affected, and the impact will last until April 8.

About 7,000 employees belonging to various unions, including the Industrial Union, the Finnish Transport Workers' Union AKT, the Services Union United PAM, the Finnish Construction Union, the Public and Welfare Sector Union JHL and the Electrical Workers Union, are currently participating in the strike. Finland's import and export business has almost completely come to a standstill.

Affected by this, container operations at Finland's major ports, including Helsinki, Kotka, Turku and Rauma, will be suspended for another week. Container terminal operators say it will still take days to clear the backlog even as dockworkers return to work.

The latest warning on Maersk's official website on the 27th showed that the strike of the Finnish Transport Workers Union continued to expand, and all businesses were affected. The AKT stevedores union decided to extend the strike for another week until 06:00 on April 8. During this period, Finnish port operations have been completely closed. Maersk reminds customers to pay close attention to the progress of the strike to deal with possible logistics delays and transportation challenges.

On the 28th, Kuehne+Nagel issued an important warning on its official website, saying that the union representing port workers announced that the ongoing port strike in Finland would be extended for another week until 06:00 on Monday, April 8. All Finnish companies Ship loading and unloading operations at the port will continue to be suspended, and containers will not be able to enter or leave the port, causing logistics and transportation to be seriously affected. At the same time, air freight logistics may experience unexpected delays and additional costs due to the impact of the strike.

Sea, air and land logistics are all affected by the strike in Finland. In terms of shipping, ship loading and unloading operations at Finnish ports have been suspended until April 8, 2024. During this period, containers cannot be picked up or delivered, but they can be transported with a driver. LCL cargo needs to be transshipped via European routes and additional fees must be paid. In terms of air transport, an airline canceled a flight to Finland due to fuel problems. Some air cargo can be picked up or delivered by land and ferry. Flight times may be changed, delays and additional costs may occur. For land transportation, the port does not handle unaccompanied trailers. Kuehne+Nagel can provide trailer combination services for an additional fee. Customers are advised to be aware of possible delays and additional fee changes, and specific arrangements will be notified separately. With strike action over, inevitable logistical delays are expected. Therefore, Kuehne + Nagel strongly recommends that our customers prepare in advance to deal with possible delays and inconveniences. It is recommended to pay close attention to the progress of the strike and make reasonable adjustments to the logistics plan to ensure the smooth progress of transportation.

The strike will continue to have a significant impact on overall operations and lead to further backlogs of goods in and out of Finland. Therefore, shippers should plan ahead to deal with possible delays and logistical challenges.