German union calls for port strike

The German union Verdi has called on seaport employees to hold a central strike day in Hamburg, Report informs, citing Port Technology International (PTI).

The strike will affect the Port of Hamburg, the Port of Bremen, as well as Bremerhaven, Brake and Emden beginning on 17 June at 5:00 am local time (GMT+2) and, depending on the port location, it will last for approximately 24 or 48 hours, until late in the evening of 17 or 18 June.

The German union reported that the situation escalated as employers, the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS), did not submit a negotiable offer in the second round of negotiations on 6 June.

According to Verdi, the strike would increase pressure on the employers to submit a negotiable offer in the third round of collective bargaining, which will take place on 17-18 June in Hamburg, coinciding with the prospected strike.

Verdi is calling for an increase in hourly wages of 3 euros as of 1 June, as well as a corresponding increase in shift allowances, including a catch-up for the missing increase in shift allowances in the 2022 collective agreement, with a term of the collective agreement of 12 months.