In the wage negotiation round for German seaports, there is a new employer offer. Following two days of negotiations on August 5 and 6 in Bremerhaven, the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) is now offering employees a 5.1 percent wage increase retroactively from August 1, 2026.
Additionally, starting in January 2027, vacation allowance is to increase by 300 euros and the annual allowance for employees in major container terminals is to rise by 460 euros. The proposed collective agreement would have a term of 19 months through the end of February 2028. According to Verdi, the employers have designated the offer as final.
However, no agreement has been reached yet. Verdi is now discussing the offer with employees in the ports. Feedback is to be collected by Friday morning, August 14. Following this, the union's Federal Collective Bargaining Commission will decide on the next steps.
Approximately 11,000 employees in Hamburg, Bremen and Bremerhaven as well as Emden, Brake, and Wilhelmshaven are affected. Verdi originally entered negotiations with a demand for 8.2 percent higher wages over a twelve-month period. Alternatively, an increase of at least 2.50 euros per hour was demanded.
For logistics, what is therefore particularly important is this: The matter is not yet settled. The peace obligation has already ended. Should the workforce reject the offer and Verdi take industrial action, warning strikes would generally be possible. However, no specific strike date has been set at this time.