by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

German union ver.di recently announced that its members rejected the latest offer for the new collective agreement covering 11,500 employees at German North Sea ports.

According to the union's statement, the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) presented an offer with two wage variants of different durations.

Variant 1 includes a 12-month contract with a €1,000 inflation compensation bonus and a €0.95 hourly wage increase. Variant 2 offers a 16-month contract with a €1,400 bonus and a €1.15 hourly wage increase.

Ver.di claims that the plans fall short of what the workers need in terms of pay raises and benefits and voted for a renegotiation.

The current contract agreement expired this year, causing several warning strikes at the ports. If negotiations do not resume, further strikes may follow.