International dockworkers launch historic global strike across 100 ports to blockade arms shipments

The Cradle 

Dockworkers spanning more than 100 strategic ports across Europe, West Asia, and North Africa initiated a mass international strike and day of mobilization to halt arms transfers.

Organized by a coalition of over 25 maritime labor unions in 22 countries—including primary labor syndicates in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkiye, and Morocco—the coordinated action targets key maritime infrastructure to block the movement of weapons, ammunition, and military cargo.

The strike action has halted or severely disrupted logistics operations across major European and Mediterranean transit hubs, including Marseille, Le Havre, Genoa, Trieste, and Piraeus. In a joint declaration released by participating unions, including France’s CGT ports federation, Italy’s Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), and Greece’s ENEDEP, labor leaders condemned the conversion of commercial ports into hubs for imperialist war machine logistics.

ENEDEP President Markos Bekris declared during demonstrations at the Port of Piraeus: “Ports must not be used for the transport of weapons, ammunition, military equipment and troops. Dockworkers do not work for war!”

Endorsed by 17 Palestinian trade unions and the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the historic mobilization marks an unprecedented labor blockade aimed at choking off military supply lines.

With over 90 percent of Israeli international trade and military procurement moving by sea, union organizers emphasized that organized labor is taking direct action to enforce international law and humanitarian embargoes where western governments have actively refused to halt the arming of Israel.