Global Dockworkers Strike: A Powerful Stand Against War and for Gaza

A global strike involving dock and port workers across 22 countries on five continents is set to take place on Friday, an event described by workers and researchers as potentially "historic." This action, known as the International Day of Action of Dockworkers and Port Workers or "Dockworkers do not work for war," is rooted in a long-standing tradition of maritime protests supporting Gaza and opposing war and imperialism. The movement involves 110 ports and 25 trade unions, with each union participating based on its principles and struggle.

The primary demand of these unions is an "immediate end to the genocide of the Palestinian people and all imperialist wars." Markos Bekris, leader of Greece’s dockworkers’ union, ENEDEP, at the Port of Piraeus in Athens, highlighted the strategic power of these workers, stating, "Weapons need transport, infrastructure, and workers’ hands to reach their destination. That is where our power lies." Mohammed al-Attar, a dockworker originally from Gaza now based in Hamburg, Germany, echoed this sentiment, believing that "We can save thousands of lives if we stop working just for two days." However, al-Attar expressed disappointment with his trade union Ver.di in Germany for its perceived "incomprehensible silence" on the issue of Gaza.

The origins of this coordinated action trace back to early 2025 when Mediterranean dockworkers convened to discuss concrete actions against privatization and the conflict in Palestine. Initially involving five unions and 20 ports across five countries, the movement expanded. Following meetings in Athens, Genoa, and Istanbul, unions from over 35 ports issued the Istanbul Declaration in May, designating October 30 as their day of action. The declaration called for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and an end to US-Israeli wars of aggression in the Middle East and against Iran, alongside solidarity with Cuba, Venezuela, and Sudan.

Francesco Staccioli, national secretary of transport and ports in Italy’s USB trade union, emphasized the broader significance: "Refusing the war is giving humanity a chance to live better." While most strikes are scheduled for regular working hours, 24-hour strikes are planned in France, Italy, India, Greece, and Turkiye. Shorter strikes of up to two hours are also announced in Morocco and Cyprus. Organizers have encouraged workers from other sectors to join, with Italy's USB calling for a general strike.

The campaign collective No Harbour for Genocide (NHG) supports the action, noting that maritime infrastructure is crucial for military trade related to the conflict in Palestine. Unions from India, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, and the west coast of the United States have pledged participation. The Palestinian labor movement has also endorsed the strike, urging unions to escalate Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) pressure to end complicity in Israel’s occupation and actions in Palestine.

Several participating ports, including Genoa, Livorno, and Gioia Tauro in Italy, Marseille in France, Piraeus in Greece, and Tangier in Morocco, have documented links to weapons shipments to Israel. NHG reported tracking 315 shipments of components for Elbit Systems, Israel's largest arms manufacturer, through 56 commercial ports between August 2025 and September 2026, all of which are expected to be affected by the strike. This disruption is significant, as up to 95 percent of Israel’s imports and exports rely on sea transport. Mediterranean ports like Tangier, Piraeus, Gioia Tauro, and Genoa, which serve as key transshipment hubs, handle a substantial portion of container activity in the region and globally.

Italian journalist and activist Linda Maggiore has observed an increase in weapons shipments from Italian ports to Israel since the war on Gaza began. She noted that an upcoming EU regulation on military mobility could further ease arms transfers without scrutiny. Maggiore stressed the importance of blockades as a means for civil society to express its non-complicity. Staccioli reaffirmed the historical role of dockworkers in protesting imperialist wars, citing examples from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War.

In Greece, union leader Bekris faces prosecution for a protest that blocked the loading of ammunition destined for Israel in October 2024. He stated, "We carry forward the tradition of workers who refuse to load weapons against other people. Our hands get covered in grease and sweat every day. We refuse to let them be stained with the blood of other people."