Dock staff union accuses Russia of financing the conflict in Ukraine with the cargo of diesel.
Dutch dock staff are refusing to unload a tanker with a consignment of Russian diesel within the port of Amsterdam, a day after an identical motion by dockers stored the ship from coming into Rotterdam port.
The Sunny Liger, a 42,000-tonne tanker was mendacity at anchor off Amsterdam on Saturday, whereas port firms had been mulling her entry into the Dutch capital.
On Friday, dock staff in Rotterdam additionally refused to deal with her cargo.
“Late final evening we requested all events within the port of Amsterdam to not let the ship dock and to not (deal with) it,” the FNV commerce union’s harbour employee department chairwoman Asmae Hajjari mentioned.
“The ship won't enter the Amsterdam port,” she added in a tweet.
The European Union has imposed a variety of sanctions on Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Nonetheless, oil and fuel should not a part of the punitive measures.
Dockworkers in Sweden had already turned away the tanker, after which it set course for the Netherlands.
“Russia is financing the conflict in Ukraine with the cargo,” the FNV union mentioned in a press release thanking the Swedish staff for turning the ship away.
Crusing from Primorsk close to Russia’s St Petersburg every week in the past, the Marshall-Islands-flagged tanker’s ultimate vacation spot was Amsterdam, in response to the maritime web site MarineTraffic.com.
“For the time being the ship lies at anchor within the North Sea. Thus far it has not utilized for permission to enter the harbour,” Port of Amsterdam spokeswoman Marcella Wesseling mentioned.
“In precept we can't refuse her entry as a result of she doesn’t fall underneath the sanctions regime (in opposition to Russia),” Wesseling advised AFP.
Wesseling mentioned the ship could possibly be allowed into port as soon as it has made a proper request, however “provided that it was secure for it to take action”.
“If there may be any doubt about this, we are able to determine in any other case,” Wesseling mentioned.
“The port’s nautical service suppliers and terminal have indicated that they've issues in regards to the security surrounding the dealing with of this ship,” she confused.
An organization chargeable for towing the ship into port mentioned it might decline if requested, saying it may result in an unsafe state of affairs if protesters need to block the ship from coming into, the Dutch business information station RTL Nieuws reported.
Dutch overseas minister Wopke Hoekstra mentioned Friday legally the Sunny Liger couldn't be refused entry right into a Dutch port, however that he supported the dock staff’ actions.
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