Daylong pay strike at 6 German seaports observed

Daylong strikes by dockworkers at six northern German seaports continued into Tuesday in support of an 8.2% pay demand, reported dpa.

Services trade union Verdi said the strikes had hit the three largest ports by cargo volume - Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven - as well as the ports of Bremen, Emden, and Brake.

Cargo-handling companies, including Eurogate, HHLA, and J. Müller Weser, reported that cargo operations have been restricted or brought to a standstill by the strike, which is due to end on Tuesday evening.

A Verdi spokesman said the 24-hour strikes in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven had begun on Monday evening and that Emden, Brake, and Bremen had joined on Tuesday morning.

A Verdi spokeswoman in Hamburg said around 2,100 dockworkers were joining a rally at Hamburg's Burchardkai container terminal.

Pay talks between Verdi and the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) based in Hamburg began in July.

Verdi is demanding an 8.2% increase in hourly wages for the approximately 11,000 employees, with a contract term of one year.

ZDS has so far presented two offers, with the latest proposal being for 5.1% rise in a contract running for 19 months. Verdi has rejected the offer. The union has surveyed dockworkers, with a majority saying the proposal was insufficient.

ZDS Managing Director Florian Keisinger expressed disappointment over the offer's rejection and described the strikes as disproportionate. They were undermining the reliability of seaports and putting further pressure on supply chains in industry and commerce, Keisinger said.