Cargo handling in the port of Hamburg was largely brought to a standstill on Monday by a warning strike. The trade union ver.di called on employees of the most important port companies to stop working.
The container bridges at Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and Eurogate were folded up. The crews on several large container ships had no choice but to wait. Because almost nothing was loaded or unloaded on Monday. Not even at Hansaport, not far from the Köhlbrand Bridge, where coal and ore are normally handled. “The Port of Hamburg is at a standstill,” said a union spokesman.
Other ports also affected
The same applies to the ports of Brake and Emden in Lower Saxony as well as to the ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven. According to the union, the warning strike, parallel to the third round of negotiations, should last between 24 and 48 hours, depending on the location.
Demonstration moves through Hamburg city centre
At midday, a demonstration by port workers started in Hamburg from the Elbphilharmonie in the direction of the main station and Besenbinderhof. Because of the demonstration with around 1,000 participants, there were at times even more traffic jams in the city than usual.
Struggle for a wage increase
The union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) are meeting in Hamburg until Tuesday to find an agreement in the wage dispute. Ver.di is demanding three euros more per hour for employees, which would ultimately mean a double-digit wage increase in some areas. The lower wage groups in particular are to be financially relieved of the wage increases. The employers are offering 2.5 percent and call this a fair offer in view of the difficulties in the industry.
12,000 port workers affected
The ZDS says it represents the interests of 56 of its 141 member companies that are bound by the relevant collective wage agreement. This affects around 12,000 employees, about half of them in Hamburg.
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NDR 90.3 | NDR 90.3 Current | 17.06.2024 | 2:00 p.m.
