by Priya Radünzel, SeaNewsEditor

The long-standing wage dispute between the German union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) has been resolved.

After five rounds of negotiations, on Friday, 6 September, ZDS presented an improved offer for the 11,500 employees at Germany's northern ports.

According to a statement by ver.di, its Federal Collective Bargaining Commission (BTK) recommends that members accept the revised offer.

The new collective agreement includes several key benefits:

• A tax-free inflation compensation bonus of €1,700, payable in October, also applicable to part-time employees.
• An hourly wage increase of €1.15 starting 1 October 2024.
• Significant increases in shift allowances and bonuses for Sunday and holiday work.
• An increase in vacation pay to €430 starting next year.

"The implementation of the social component cushions the wage gap between the wage groups, with the lower wage groups, in particular, benefiting from the offer," says ver.di negotiator Maren Ulbrich.

Torben Seebold, ZDS's lead negotiator, expressed optimism about the agreement, saying, "After difficult but constructive negotiations, we have succeeded in reaching an agreement in the fifth round. We are confident that the BTK's vote will be confirmed and that we will be able to fully restore confidence in the reliability of our seaports."

"It remains the case that the agreement means that the companies are pushing themselves to the limit in a difficult market situation," Seebold added.

The BTK will decide on the offer based on the results of a member survey. A final decision is expected at their meeting on 27 September 2024.

Should the terms be accepted, the agreement will be valid for 14 months until 31 July 2025.