Strike Action at German Ports of Hamburg & Bremerhaven

Negotiations between terminals and unions in Germany have been ongoing for several weeks, leading to strike actions by union members at the ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven.

Ahead of the next round of negotiations on July 11 and 12, the Berlin-based trade union Ver.di has announced warning strikes across various terminals.

The Port of Hamburg (excluding the Frucht Terminal) will experience a 48-hour strike starting at 07:00 on July 9 and ending at 07:00 on July 11. Meanwhile, Bremerhaven workers will engage in a 24-hour strike from 14:00 on July 9 to 14:00 on July 10.

The trade union’s goal is to increase pressure on employers before the fourth round of negotiations between ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS), which will continue on July 11 in Bremen.

"In the third round of negotiations, we were still far apart," said ver.di negotiator Maren Ulbrich. "The offer presented by the employers is not acceptable to us as it stands. Employers need to make more movement, especially regarding the proposed wage increases."