Update: 10.07.2024

Labour union ver.di, called on its members in Wilhelmshaven to join the protest against a wage agreement proposal which began at other German ports earlier this week.

Workers began striking today, 10 July, at the start of the early shift and will continue until 06:00 on Thursday, 11 July.

As at Hamburg and Bremerhaven, operations on both the land and waterside have come to a halt.

In addition, ver.di extended the strikes in Bremerhaven to 22:00 today. The strikes were initially expected to end at 14:00.

In Hamburg, protests are expected to end tomorrow morning when further negotiations between the union and port operators are to resume.

Extended strikes during the summer holiday season will cause backlogs to both vessel and container pickups and dropoffs.

In an update, Maersk announced its vessels calling Hamburg and Bremerhaven will "observe the duration of the strike and recover the impact when service resumes fully".

Update: 09.07.2024

The ver.di Labour Union announced a new strike at the Port of Hamburg this morning, threatening supply chain operations for the next two days.

The strike, which involves all port workers, began today, 9 July, at 7:00 and will end on 11 July at the same hour.

No service will be provided to vessels during this period, which could cause additional vessel delays in the coming days.

In addition, container pickup and drop-off will not be possible during the strike. Any slot bookings made for this period will need to be replanned.

Rail handling will also not take place for the next two days.

In addition to their initial announcement, the union called for its members to strike in Bremerhaven from 14:00 today for 24 hours.

In the hours before the strike, all port operations will be limited.

According to Kuehne+Nagel sources, the German terminals expect the delays to last for days as the strikes run parallel to the summer holiday season.

Update: 17.06.2024

Port workers began warning strikes today after labour union verdi called on its members to protest against a proposed wage agreement.

The strikes began during the early shift, around 06:00 local time, and will continue until the end of the night shift tomorrow, at 06:00 on June 18, in Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Bremen.

As with previous strikes, container pickup and drop-off will not be possible during this time, and rail departures will also be cancelled or postponed.

Considering the limited slot availability and the impact of the previous strikes, container transport and delivery could be further affected this week.

On the waterside, container ship operations will be delayed.

Original article: 07.06.2024

The labour union ver.di, representing workers in the Port of Hamburg, called for a warning strike on short notice today, 7 June.

According to the information, the strike started at 5:30 local time and will include the first and second shifts at the port.

Work stoppages are expected to remain until 23:00 local time.

The strike impacts container handling operations at all terminals. Rail and trucking operations will also be suspended for the day.

As slots at the terminals are already pressured, attempts to push schedules will likely impact handling processes for the entire week.

Furthermore, the loading and unloading of ships will be delayed.

Port operator HHLA to take compensatory measures

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) informed its partners that it is working to resume operations after the strike ends.

The port operator is "planning further measures for the weekend to compensate for today's strike-related cancellation."

HHLA says the measures include extended opening hours for truck handling and additional rail handling on the night shift from Saturday to Sunday.

Further strikes in Bremen and Bremerhaven

Following the strikes in Hamburg, the union announced two more strikes in Bremen and Bremerhaven Port.

A strike is planned for 11 June in Bremen, impacting stevedoring operations. Operations in container depots will remain unaffected.

The strike in Bremerhaven Port will take place during the early shift on 12 June. Work stoppages are expected in all container terminals and port operations.