Workers in the port of Hamburg go on strike over wage dispute

Workers at Germany’s largest port in Hamburg began a two-day strike on Tuesday to demand higher wages.

“The strike began as planned with the early shift at 6:30 a.m.,” said a spokesman for the Verdi union.

The union announced that the employees would initially strike in a decentralized manner in front of their workplaces and that there would be a demonstration on Wednesday.

With the all-day strikes in the port of Hamburg on Tuesday and Wednesday, Verdi says it wants to increase the pressure on employers in the collective bargaining negotiations for employees in the seaports.

Verdi is demanding an increase in the hourly wage by three euros retroactively to June 1 and a corresponding increase in shift allowances.

A further round of negotiations between Verdi and the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) is planned for July 11 and 12 in Bremen.

There were already strikes in several northern German ports, including Hamburg, in June.

(dpa/NAN)