The impacts of labor interruptions in various ports around the world quadrupled in 2022 and these could bring further disruption in 2023. Last year, there were at least 38 cases of protests or strikes affecting port operations, more than four times as many as in 2021 when the pandemic upended global trade. There were nine incidents in 2020, according to data beginning in July.
With inflation still looming, supply chains fragile and labor markets tight, workers will remain a volatile force in the new year. Industry experts claim that labor unrest is unlikely to abate after 2023 and may in fact worsen in the likely event that global economic conditions do not improve.
In 2022, protests and strikes took place at major shipping hubs around the world. South Korean truckers staged work stoppages twice in a six-month period, disrupting container operations in Busan. Congestion in some of Europe's ports reached critical levels after German and British dock workers left.
Source: blueberriesconsulting.com
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