International Day of Action of Dockworkers and Port Workers Against War and Militarization
Featured image: Photo collage of actions on International Day of Action of Dockworkers and Port Workers against war and militarization in Italy, Greece and India.
On 30 October 2026, dockworkers at 113 ports across 22 countries and 5 continents took part in an international day of action against war and the militarization of civilian ports. Among the participating were dockworkers from Australia, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States. More than 25 unions backed strikes, work stoppages and demonstrations. Organizers stated that participating ports handle 13.5% of global shipping and 63% of container activity in the Mediterranean.
The action followed months of international union coordination and marked a major expansion from an earlier February mobilization involving 20 ports in seven countries. This mobilization was based on the following demands:
“An immediate end to the genocide of the Palestinian people and recognition of an independent Palestinian state, recognized by the international community, within the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
An end to the US-Israeli wars of aggression in the West Asia and against Iran, and full solidarity with the peoples of Cuba, Venezuela and Sudan, alongside support for the right of all peoples to resist occupation and to self-determination.
Ports must not be used for the transport of arms, ammunition, military equipment or troops destined for war zones. They must not become military bases for NATO, the United States or the European Union, nor serve as tools for shipowners and monopoly groups.
No to the war economy, government rearmament plans, and the project of militarization of ports and strategic infrastructure from EU. Public resources must be used to meet people’s social needs, not to finance war.
Collective agreements must guarantee real wage increases, secure employment, reduced working hours, and fair pension provisions.
Technological progress, mechanization, automation and artificial intelligence must not be used to eliminate jobs or undermine workers’ rights. Dockworkers and port workers say NO to automation.”
The most extensive stoppages were called in France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. In France, the CGT union estimated a shutdown of 95% of port activity; a later account said nearly all maritime shipping capacity was affected. In Italy, workers at nine ports joined the action, alongside the large scale strike. Greece saw a three-hour stoppage at Piraeus, where reports said cargo operations and ferry services were disrupted.
Organizers estimated that strikes at ports participating in 24-hour stoppages would halt about 52,000 containers carrying $2.8 billion in cargo, with direct costs of up to $57 million. The projected figures exclude some shorter stoppages and the possible knock-on effects of backlogs.
The campaign’s demands went beyond stopping weapons shipments. Organizers called for an end to the transport of arms, ammunition, military equipment and troops through civilian ports, and opposed turning ports into military bases. They also linked opposition to rearmament with workplace demands.
