Trade unions representing dockworkers across five continents launched coordinated industrial actions on Tuesday under the slogan "We don’t work for war." More than 25 unions participated in the International Day of Action to demand that commercial ports serve civilian needs instead of military operations.
According to the Greek news portal 902, strikes and demonstrations took place in countries including Greece, France, Italy, India, Türkiye, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. Workers at various facilities halted operations and staged rallies to protest the transit of military equipment.
In Greece, a large strike rally was held in the port city of Piraeus. Demonstrators unfurled a banner near the waterfront reading, "Workers do not work for war." Strike actions disrupted operations at the ports of Patras and Piraeus.
The mobilization also affected Thessaloniki, where a three-hour work stoppage brought more than 200 containers and trucks to a standstill. In France, hundreds of workers at the port of Fos-sur-Mer joined the protests under banners opposing the militarization of shipping facilities.
Italian dockworkers in Reggio Calabria received backing from local youth and laborers who joined the picket lines. Young dockworkers and apprentices in Germany organized a solidarity gathering at the Port of Hamburg.
Sweden’s Port Workers’ Union voiced strong opposition to the militarization of European ports. The union warned against using security legislation to restrict trade union activities and pressure workers.
In Denmark, trade federations expressed solidarity with the movement. They argued that dockworkers should not be made complicit in wars or war crimes through the transport of weapons.
Seafarers and dockworkers in India also participated in the international day of action, issuing calls for peaceful ports and jobs with dignity.
The No Harbour for Genocide campaign reported that several participating facilities, including Genoa, Livorno, and Gioia Tauro in Italy, Marseille in France, Piraeus in Greece, and Tangier in Morocco, have been linked to weapons shipments bound for Israel.
The campaign stated that it tracked 315 shipments of components for Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, passing through 56 commercial ports across 29 countries between August 2025 and September 2026.
