Elbe deepening subject to further delay

The German union Verdi and ZDS reached a new labour agreement for 11,500 North Sea port workers, pending a member vote.

The Port of Hamburg has halted train acceptance due to ongoing strikes, causing delays of over 24 hours.

Hamburg’s city parliament approved MSC’s entry as a major shareholder in HHLA, despite opposition, with final approval pending from the European Commission.

Negotiations for a new collective agreement at Germany’s North Sea ports are stalled as employees and the union reject the employers’ offers.

Despite regional challenges and moderate economic conditions, the Port of Hamburg’s container handling saw a slight decline of 0.3% in the first half of 2024, processing 3.8 million TEU.

The Verdi union presented its members with two collective labour agreement options from the ZDS, affecting around 11,000 port employees.