Port workers have launched 24-hour warning strikes across six German seaports in a pay dispute covering about 11,000 employees, according to ver.di.
The action began with night shifts late on 17 August in Hamburg, at the automobile terminal in Bremerhaven and at the container terminal in Wilhelmshaven. Workers in Bremen, Emden and Brake were called out from the early shift on 18 August.
In Hamburg, the strike covers more than a dozen port businesses, including Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG’s container terminals at Altenwerder, Burchardkai and Tollerort, as well as the Eurogate container terminal.
Ver.di is demanding an 8.2% increase in hourly wages, with a minimum rise of €2.50 ($2.88) per hour, under a 12-month agreement.
More than 6,100 workers took part in a week-long consultation, with a large majority rejecting the employers’ offer.
The Central Association of German Seaport Operators, or ZDS, has offered a 5.1% increase in basic hourly wages over 19 months. Its proposal also includes an additional €300 ($345.45) in holiday pay in 2027 and a €460 ($529.69) increase in the annual allowance for employees at container operations.
Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, or HHLA, is a European port and transport logistics group active in container handling and inland transport.