German port workers are considering a new wage offer following a fourth round of negotiations, with the possibility of indefinite industrial action looming if employees reject the proposal.
The latest negotiations between the United Services Trade Union (ver.di) and the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) concluded on Wednesday evening in Hamburg.
The dispute covers around 11,000 employees at the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Emden and Brake.
Under the latest proposal, employers have agreed to a 12-month collective agreement, addressing one of the key issues raised by ver.di during previous negotiations.
The offer includes a retroactive 3.4% wage increase, along with additional payments, including measures for employees working at high-turnover container operations.
Ver.di described the latest proposal as a slight improvement on the previous offer.
Workers to consider latest offer
Ver.di will now consult port workers over the new proposal, with the process expected to continue until Monday, 14 September.
The union had previously demanded an 8.2% increase in hourly wages, or at least €2.50 more per hour, under a 12-month agreement.
The previous employer proposal included a 5.1% increase in collectively agreed wages and a minimum hourly increase of €1.20, but had a duration of 18 months.
Workers rejected that proposal by a large majority, leading to renewed warning strikes at Germany’s major seaports.
Ahead of the fourth negotiating round, ver.di said the duration of the agreement was a particularly important issue and called on employers to improve their proposal.
Indefinite strikes possible if offer rejected
The outcome of the latest worker consultation could determine whether the dispute moves into a significantly more serious phase.
Ver.di negotiator Sylvi Krisch said that if a majority votes against accepting the latest offer, the union will proceed with a qualified membership ballot on launching indefinite industrial action.
Such a move would represent a major escalation from the warning strikes staged so far during the wage dispute.
Workers have already participated in two rounds of warning strikes, including 48-hour industrial action earlier this month that affected operations at Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Emden and Brake.
At the Port of Hamburg, the latest warning strike left numerous container cranes idle and affected vessel handling operations.
The 48-hour action ended on 5 September, before employers proposed the fourth round of negotiations that took place this week.
The industry’s attention will now turn to the outcome of ver.di’s consultation with workers, which is expected to determine whether negotiations move closer to a settlement or the dispute escalates towards indefinite strike action.
