Wage agreement for port workers finally decided

The new wage agreement for the approximately 12,000 port workers at the German North Sea ports is finally signed and sealed. The Federal Collective Bargaining Commission of the Verdi union approved the collective bargaining agreement agreed with the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) almost two weeks ago on Monday “after detailed discussion”, as the union announced. For the already stressed logistics companies in the ports, the danger of further strikes is off the table for two years. This was preceded by an unprecedented series of warning strikes, which paralyzed handling in the ports for a total of 80 hours in June and July.

The conclusion reached after ten rounds provides for significant pay increases this year and next. The agreement also contains a clause in the event that the currently extremely high inflation rate of almost eight percent should get out of hand in the coming year. "Our goal was real inflation compensation, so as not to leave employees alone with the consequences of the galloping price increases," said the union's negotiator, Maya Schwiegershausen-Güth. "We have succeeded in doing this for the vast majority of companies."

After the agreement in Bremen, the union's Federal Tariff Commission recommended acceptance by a large majority. Before final approval is given, however, the opinion of the trade union members in the affected companies should be obtained.