These days representatives for the European region of the International Dockworkers Council (IDC), the federation international trade unions to which associations of port workers, they have confronted on-line on the main problems of port work in Europe, starting from the initiatives to be taken in order to make a leap into equality of gender ensuring a greater presence of women in the sector.

Among the thorniest issues mentioned by delegates Then there is the possible extension of the validity of the European Consortia Block Exemption Regulation shipowners and the impact on port workers of entry into Strength of the EU ETS for the taxation of emissions of ships that could induce some shipping companies to relocating the ports of call of its ships outside European ports to avoid incurring the payment of these new taxes.

In addition, the general decline in traffic in most European ports and the attempt of some shipowners to carry out self-handling activities in ports entrust to the crews of their ships the operations that are instead of the competence of port workers.

Concern was also expressed about the situation of the port workers of Ukraine, with the war in progress, with the ports bombed and with many of them having to abandon the activity to go to the front to defend one's country from the attacks of Russian troops.