Ashdod (Port)

Latest news

Israeli ports victims of Israel-Palestine conflict

The Israel-Palestine conflict has crept into the maritime sector. The two Israeli ports Ashdod and Ashkelon had to be closed after rocket attacks on port infrastructure as well as other port complexes in the region. Vital Israeli port infrastructures in the Ashdod and Ashkelon area were hit in spite of the air defense system iron dome. The port of Ashdod siffered widespread damage. The cargo ships 'Mona' (IMO: 9101534) and 'Ahmet Onel' (IMO: 8420361), were nearly hit by rockets. In a separate incident, the military wing of Hamas - the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigade - has declared that they have bombed an Israeli Gas Platform off Gaza, which has been continuing to burn ever since.

Konecranes wins deal with Fridenson in Israel for two BOXHUNTER RTGs

Fridenson Logistics of Israel, a logistic services provider based in Israel, has purchased two Konecranes BOXHUNTER RTGs for its inland container terminal near the port of Ashdod. The cranes will be delivered in autumn 2019. The BOXHUNTER RTG is becoming popular in Israel, with two units already delivered to another inland container terminal.

Ashdod Port workers go slow

Workers at Ashdod Port began an “Italian strike” on May 1, 2018 in protest at the ports reform taking shape, sources inform “Globes”. Internal figures on shift output indicate that loading and unloading of ships were at about half target rates. “The workers are anxious about their livelihoods. Unless they talk to us on operating the two ports, the situation will only deteriorate,” a source at Ashdod Port told “Globes” today. “I fear that the workers will take the law into their hands and we will lose control because they are fed up that they have been toyed with for four years. They don’t want to end up like the Broadcasting Authority.” According to the source, the workers started to work “according to the safety rules”, and thereby deliberately caused a fall in the port’s output. “For example, a ‘Stop’ sign means ‘stop’. You can’t tell the workers to work faster,” he explained. Nevertheless, the source, who is close to the Ashdod Port management, said that “if anyone takes industrial action in connection with the reform, they are in contempt of the National Labor Court.” In hearings over the past three years, the court has refused to allow labor sanctions over the ports reform. The background to the go-slow at Ashdod Port is growing fear of competition from the new ports to be constructed as part of the ports reform, which will not only be more modern, but will be privately-owned and much leaner as far as manpower is concerned. The committee of the mechanical equipment workers at Ashdod Port sent a letter to Ministry of Transport director general Keren Terner last week demanding that they should operate the new port due to open in three years’ time.