Labor action is currently underway at Germany's major North Sea container ports that will affect cargo moving through the region over the next several days.
What's Happening
Trade union ver.di's 48-hour warning strike began as scheduled with the night shift on September 2 and is now in effect, continuing through the late shift on Friday, September 4. The action follows union members overwhelmingly rejecting the latest wage offer from the port employers' association (ZDS) after a third round of bargaining.
Employees at container terminals in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven — along with several additional North German ports — have walked off the job for the duration of the strike. No containers can be delivered to or picked up from affected terminals during this window. No new negotiation date has been set between the parties.
This is the second warning strike in the current wage dispute. The first, a 24-hour strike on August 17–18, halted operations at six German seaports and led to idle terminals, backed-up truck and rail scheduling, and a recovery period of more than a week before operations returned to normal.
This action is twice as long as the August strike. We expect disruption and recovery time to be at least comparable, and potentially more severe.
Expected Impacts
• No container pickup or delivery at affected terminals through Friday
• Delays to vessel loading/unloading, with knock-on effects to truck and rail schedules across the region
• Possible vessel omissions or rerouting by carriers avoiding congestion
• A recovery period of a week or more once the strike concludes
OTS will continue to monitor these evolving issues and provide updates. Please contact your OTS Sales Representative for additional information.