A wave of industrial action across North European ports has severely disrupted container operations over the past week, with the on-time performance of ocean carriers on Asia-Europe routes falling into single digits, one of the lowest reliability levels ever recorded on the trade lane. In Germany, the ver.di trade union called a new 48-hour warning strike beginning on the late shift of September 2 after wage talks with the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) broke down, with more than 6,000 port workers rejecting the employers’ latest offer. The action affected major hubs including Hamburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Emden and Brake, halting container cranes and slowing ship handling. Ver.di is demanding an 8.2% pay increase, or at least €2.50 per hour under a 12-month agreement, against a ZDS offer of 5.1%, backdated to August 1, under an 18-month deal.
Separately, but within the same week, Dutch dockworkers represented by FNV Havens staged an eight-hour work stoppage on September 4 at the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Zeeland, in protest against the Dutch cabinet’s plans to cut €6.5 billion from social security spending, including unemployment and disability benefits. The Port of Rotterdam Authority warned of longer waiting times on the water and on the road as a result, with the Deltalinqs industry association cautioning that backlogs would develop and could persist well beyond the strike’s official window. Hapag-Lloyd notified customers that the overlapping German and Dutch actions could disrupt ship operations, terminal cargo handling and inland transport moves across both countries, compounding pressure on carrier networks already strained by earlier weather-related disruptions and rerouted Asia-Europe strings.
Source: World Cargo News / RW Freight — https://www.worldcargonews.com/news/2026/09/german-ports-disrupted-by-strikes-as-dutch-dockworkers-prepare-to-walk-out/
Tags: Port of Rotterdam, Hamburg, Labor Disputes, Asia-Europe Trade
