Dock Workers Strike In Germany's North Sea Ports

Dockworkers in Germany's North Sea ports went on strike on Friday, July 15, 2022, the latest in a series of walkouts that have exacerbated pressures on the shipping industry as their union demands a substantial salary increase to combat soaring inflation, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Photo Insert: The 48-hour strike, which is scheduled to expire on Saturday morning, has immobilized cargo operations at key ports including Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven.

The 48-hour strike, which is scheduled to expire on Saturday morning, has immobilized cargo operations at key ports including Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven, according to the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa). It follows a 24-hour strike in June and a one-shift warning strike in April.

According to an agreement agreed at the labor court in Hamburg on Thursday evening, there will be no additional strikes until late August.

The accord requires the parties to establish three additional days for negotiations through August 26. Courts in multiple locations denied employer requests for injunctions to prevent the strike this week.

Seven rounds of negotiations have generated no results to date. The ver.di union has been advocating for a one-year agreement that would offer a rise of 1.20 euros (dollars) per hour and a 7.4 percent boost to offset inflation for around 12,000 employees in Hamburg, Bremen, and Lower Saxony.

The conflict arises at a time when shipping has already been affected by a number of factors, including China's coronavirus limitations.

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