Contingency plans, new surcharges emerging ahead of expected strikes in US
NewsWith a potential strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) approaching, industry stakeholders are implementing contingency plans.
The Verdi union presented its members with two collective labour agreement options from the ZDS, affecting around 11,000 port employees.
Last weekend, the Verdi union decided to present its members with the Central Association of German Seaports (ZDS) collective labour agreement proposal. The ZDS provided the union with two potential solutions.
The collective agreement affects approximately 11,000 employees in the ports.
The ZDS and the union concluded their fourth round of negotiations on the new collective labour agreement just before the weekend. The ZDS has now proposed a collective labour agreement with two options.
The first option includes an inflation compensation of €1,000 and an increase in the hourly wage by €0.95 for twelve months. The second option includes an inflation compensation of €1,400 and an increase in the hourly wage by €1.15 for sixteen months. In both scenarios, employees would also receive higher shift allowances and an additional €480 in holiday pay.
The ZDS has accepted some of the union’s demands, such as increasing team bonuses. Union members will vote on this proposal on August 22 and 23.
The dispute over the collective agreement has been marked by several strikes at German seaports recently, with activities in the port of Hamburg halting for two days just before the fourth round of negotiations, spreading to Wilhelmshaven, Bremen, and Emden, causing significant disruptions in operations and congestion at container terminals.
Source: Nieuwsblad Transport