A strike organized by public employees has forced the Port of HAMBURG to close down for more than 48 hours. As the port is the second busiest in Europe, port officials have started to limit vessel movement on the Elbe and have closed the port for all departing vessels, as the strike is expected to last until the morning of March 24th.
The port authority has stated that they blocked the Elbe due to the massive restrictions imposed by the workers’ union. The strike has been organized to improve the pay of State and Federal Public employees by Germany’s “Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft” (Verdi), which is calling it a “warning strike.”
The union has called for work stoppages across the entire country, and the next round of talks with the union is to be held on March 27th in Potsdam. The Union is demanding a 10.5% increase in wages or a raise of 500 euros per month for 2.5 million public sector employees, while the government has offered a 5% pay raise and a one-time payment of 2500 euros.
Media reports have stated that over 16,000 people all across Germany have joined the movement. The union is expecting thousands of employees from hospitals and daycare centers to join the movement. They have also requested that Hamburg Airport employees join the movement after the airport’s security workers walked off the job last month, halting airport activity for a short period.
During the strike, pilots will not be able to enter the vessels that come into the port. Port rules require all vessels over 90m or with a beam greater than 13m to have a pilot for navigation in the harbor and along the Elbe. Therefore, only smaller vessels that are not required to have a pilot can operate in the port for now. Other services such as locks, movable bridges, and barrages are also expected to be impacted by the strike.
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
