Collective bargaining agreement reached for employees in German seaports

The United Services Union (Verdi) and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) have reached a collective agreement for employees in German seaports. The collective bargaining parties announced that hourly wages should increase by 3.4 percent retroactively to August. The contract term is one year.

The negotiations began in July in Bremen. Verdi demanded 8.2 percent higher hourly wages for around 11,000 employees for a period of one year. There were four rounds of negotiations in total.

The negotiations affected the six seaports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Bremen, Brake and Emden. The seaports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven are the most important ports in the country in terms of throughput. There are large container terminals there.

During the collective bargaining round there were warning strikes that restricted transshipment in the ports. The first warning strike at the six seaports took place in August. In September, dock workers in Hamburg stopped work.