RailFreight.com reported on a major Dutch port strike expected on Friday 4 September earlier. The port situation will be more impactful than just disruptions at sites like Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Their German counterparts on the North Sea (except those in Hamburg) are also preparing for strikes at the same time.
Whereas the Dutch are striking to prevent a reduction in social security benefits, the Germans are stopping work to put some weight behind wage negotiations. The ver.di trade union is demanding a 8.2% increase in hourly wages of at least €2.50 per hour for 12-month contracts.
The trade union rejected an employer offer earlier this week. Subsequently, it is staging a 48-hour warning strike. It should start on Wednesday evening at 22:00. At Bremerhaven, the affected terminals include Eurogate and NTB, according to ver.di. The Port of Hamburg will evade the impact, as ver.di has called for strikes in Lower Saxony and Bremen only. This means that ports such as Bremerhaven, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven and Emden will see strikes.
Operational impact
Rail operator METRANS expects that the port disruptions will affect its services operating in the area. Moreover, it will likely have a negative impact on the entire connecting rail infrastructure. “There will be a significant disruption to the circulation of train sets”, adds METRANS. “A return to smoother operations will again take more than a week, unless further unforeseen complications arise.”