Dutch dock workers declined to unload a tanker with a consignment of Russian diesel in the port of Amsterdam, on April 29.
The Sunny Liger, a 42,000-tonne tanker was lying at anchor off Amsterdam, while port companies were mulling her entry into the Dutch capital. A day earlier, dock workers in Rotterdam refused to handle its cargo.
According to the FNV trade union’s harbour worker branch chairwoman Asmae Hajjari, “the ship will not enter the Amsterdam port.”
The European Union has applies various sanctions against Russia, but oil and gas are not part of the punitive measures.
What is more, dockworkers in Sweden had already turned away the tanker, after which it set course for the Netherlands.
Commenting on the situation, Port of Amsterdam spokeswoman Marcella Wesseling informed that the ship lies at anchor in the North Sea. “So far it has not applied for permission to enter the harbour.”
In principle we cannot refuse her entry because she doesn’t fall under the sanctions regime (against Russia)
Wesseling told AFP, adding that the ship could be allowed into port once it has made a formal request, but “only if it was safe for it to do so”.
Nevertheless, she also claimed that “the port’s nautical service providers and terminal have indicated that they have concerns about the safety surrounding the handling of this ship.”
In addition, sources report that a company responsible for towing the ship into port would decline if asked, saying it could lead to an unsafe situation.
In a similar development, during March, the British labor union Unison urged the government to immediately intervene to stop two Russian tankers, containing enough liquid gas to supply the UK for up to 12 days, from docking in Kent.
The Boris Vilkitsky and Fedor Litke were bound for Grain LNG with plans to unload on Sunday at the Isle of Grain importation terminal owned by National Grid.
This is despite a law passed banning ships with any Russian connection from all UK ports, says the union. UNISON says a loophole had left open the possibility that the Boris Vilkitsky and Fedor Litke could dock and unload their cargo.
