In the 10th round of negotiations, trade union Ver.di and ZDS (the association of German sea port operators) reached an agreement, ending fears of further strike action. The same cannot be said for the port of Felixstowe in the UK, where strike action has the potential to escalate.
In Germany, the strike action of July and June had been suspended by a court order until August 26 with the hopes that talks would reach a settlement – a plan that has seemingly worked, with a deal that provides significant pay increases. “This is a very good result. Our most important goal was real inflation compensation so that employees were not left alone with the consequences of the galloping price increases. We succeeded in doing that,” said ver.di negotiator Maya Schwiegershausen-Güth. “This would not have been possible without the extraordinary commitment of our colleagues, who stood up for their goals with warning strikes and demonstrations.”
Under the agreement, the wages for workers in container facilities will increase by 9.4 percent; in the conventional and general cargo port companies, they will increase by 7.9 percent. From June 1, 2023, the fees in the above-mentioned operating modes will increase by a further 4.4 percent. If the price increase rate is higher, an inflation clause comes into effect, which compensates for a price increase rate of up to 5.5 percent. In the event of a higher inflation rate, the bargaining parties have agreed on a negotiation obligation, including a special right of termination.
In Felixstowe, meanwhile, unions have warned that strike action at the port will escalate unless an improved pay offer is provided. The initial eight days of strike action began on Sunday August 21.
Source: heavyliftpfi.com
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