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Logistics has been a transformative force in the restructuring of transnational value chains, driving the expansion of global production networks and creating what can be described as a "giant wall-less global factory." Yet, its impact extends far beyond the economic sphere, profoundly reshaping local social contexts, urban territories, and labor dynamics. Ports and logistics hubs, while generating significant prosperity for certain groups, often exacerbate social inequalities, becoming hotbeds of exploitation and misery for others living and working in their shadows. The stark contrast between wealth accumulation and exploitation is particularly visible in port cities like Antwerp, where high-paying jobs and wealth accumulation exist alongside grim realities of labor exploitation, human trafficking, and prostitution. This seminar will explore these complex dynamics, examining how logistics and port economies reshape urban spaces, labor conditions, and the forms of resistance that emerge. In addition to the case of Antwerp, we will discuss examples from Northern Italy, the Parisian region, and ports in the Global South, where similar patterns of exploitation and social disparity are unfolding. By analyzing these varied contexts, the seminar aims to shed light on the broader implications for urban governance, social policy, and efforts to combat exploitation in global logistics hubs around the world.
Invited speakers
Carlotta Benvegnù is associate professor at the department of sociology of the University of Évry - Paris Saclay (Centre Pierre Naville). Her research interests focus around labour conditions and labour movements in the logistic sector and in the platform economy. She is also a member of Into the Black Box, a research collective on logistics, spaces and labour.
Anthonie De Lausnay is a workers representative for the socialist union ABVV at a chemical company in the Port of Antwerp and producer of a radioshow on Radio Centraal, Pink Wave, in which minority rights and issues as prostitution are regularly debated.
Johanneke van Slooten is the founder and director of cherut. She has a degree in social work and has a passion for social justice in society. Cherut stands for the 'freedom to choose'. The organisation supports women and transgenders in vulnerable situations linked to prostitution, exploitation and human trafficking.