Hamburg, Germany (Ports Europe) July 13, 2024 – In the wage dispute over dock workers’ pay, Zentralverband der deutschen Seehafenbetriebe (ZDS-Central Association of German Seaport Operators) has submitted an offer to the Verdi union.
It includes two options with different terms, each with a significant increase in real wages, the association announced on Saturday. The Verdi union said it would submit the offer to its members for a vote.
ZDS and Verdi had been negotiating in Bremen over the pay of around 11,000 employees from Hamburg, Bremen and Lower Saxony. It was already the fourth round of negotiations in the wage dispute.
There have been several warning strikes. Hundreds of employees have joined strikes in the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Emden and Brake.
Two offers
According to the union, ZDS is offering inflation compensation of 1,000 euros and an increase in hourly wages of 0.95 euros from January for a period of 12 months. Alternatively, the association could imagine inflation compensation of 1,400 euros and an increase in hourly wages of 1.55 euros for a period of 16 months. In both cases, employees will also receive higher shift allowances and 480 euros more holiday pay.
Verdi, however, says that the offer falls short of their demands. ZDS has met some of the demands. The union is demanding, among other things, an increase in hourly wages of three euros and a corresponding increase in shift allowances for employees, retroactive to June 1. The collective agreement is to run for twelve months.
Verdi’s Federal Tariff Commission will decide how to proceed at its meeting on August 22 and 23.
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