Weekly Logistics Briefing Key logistics updates for the week (Week 1 of Sep. 2024)

The Israeli Workers' Union (Histadrut) called for a one-day nationwide strike from 6 a.m. on September 2. Histadrut represents about 800,000 workers in the fields of health care, transportation, banking, etc.. Purpose of strike it to release of remaining hostages in Gaza under pressure from Israeli government. Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion International Airport (TLV) authorities announced that they would suspend flights at 8 a.m. on September 2. It is unclear when the flights will resume.

Unionized port workers affiliated with the United Services Trade Union (Verdi) and employed by Hamburger Hafen und Logistik plan to strike at the Port of Hamburg on August. 30. Purpose of strike is to demand for job security related to corporate restructuring. MSC is attempting to acquire half of HHLA, the Hamburg container terminal operator. Verdi rejected the proposal of the Central Association of German Seaport Operators(ZDS) last week in negotiations for a collective agreement for workers working in the North Sea ports of Germany.

On August 29, bad weather in Gujarat caused a major disruption in port operation and a great influence on the ports at Kandla, Mundra, and Pipav. According to the weather forecast, the suspension of port operations is expected to last 24 to 48 hours. The Indian Meteorological Agency (IMD) issued a "Red " for various parts of Gujarat. Severe heavy rains have caused considerable flooding in the region over the past two days, and a number of freight train services have been temporarily suspended until August 31.

Several flights scheduled for September 2, were canceled due to the effects of Tropical Storm Enteng in the Philippines. The MIAA(Manila International Airport Authority) said a number of flights of PAL Express, Cebu Pacific and CebGo have been grounded due to unfavorable weather condition. Enteng packs a maximum sustained winds of 75 km per hour near the center, gustiness of up to 90 kph, and central pressure of 994 hPa. At 7 a.m., September 2, Enteng's center of the eye was estimated 100 kilometers North Northwest of Daet, Camarines Norte or 115 kilometers East Northeast of Infanta, Quezon. It packs a max sustained winds and gustiness up to90 kph.

Tropical Storm Shanshan, after being downgraded from a typhoon, continues to disrupt transportation in Japan, especially in Kyushu and other regions. The storm, which caused significant damage, including six deaths and over 120 injuries, is moving eastward, affecting flights and train services. Authorities are warning of potential landslides and flooding due to heavy rain. Thousands of households in southern Japan remain without power.

Dozens of United Airlines flight attendants picketed at Honolulu's airport on August 29. After nearly three years of contract negotiations, 99.9 of union members voted to authorize a strike. Flight attendants are demanding pay increases, better retirement, job security and compensation. United Airlines said there will be no work stoppage or labor disruptions since federal law prevents strike from occurring until after lengthy process.

Border Force employees belonging to the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) are scheduled to go on strike from August 31 to September 3. Purpose of strike is to condemn of working conditions including change of work pattern and the strike is expected to involve around 650 employees working at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5. They will refuse to work overtime from September 4 to 22 and from August 31 to September 3, significant disruptions and congestion are expected in international flights to and from LHR. The Border Guard is an organization under the British government's Home Office (Home Office), and its main mission is to prevent illegal immigration, smuggling, smuggling, and human trafficking(Perform passport and immigration screening).

Kenya Aviation Workers Union(KAWU) decided to start a strike on September 1, judging that the government was passive in resolving their complaints. The workers had initially issued a 7-day strike notice to protest the proposed leasing of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to India's Adani Group. But a call to the table for talks by the government led to postponement of the strike by two weeks. However, as the negotiations did not come to fruition, the union announced that it would suspend operations at airports across the country until the requirements were met.

Flights at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands resumed after a major IT outage on August 28, caused significant disruptions. The outage, which lasted several hours, paralyzed services, leading to flight cancellations and delays, and affecting thousands of passengers. The airport and airline staff worked to restore operations, and by the afternoon, flights began to return to normal. There is no indication that this was an act with malicious intent, ministry said ant the cause of the outage is under investigation.

Negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) were supposed to begin in June but were delayed due to a local dispute over automation at the Port of Mobile, Alabama. Automation is a major point of contention for the ILA leadership and is expected to be a central issue in the negotiations. Legally, the ILA is required to give 60 days' notice to the employers and last week the union sent letters to all employer groups indicating that the current agreement would not be extended. The ILA’s Wage Scale Committee will meet on September 4 and 5 to review the demands they will make to the employers during the master contract negotiations. The union leadership said it plans to devote time to “instruct locals on strike strategies and what to expect if the ILA is on strike at the beginning of October.”