Warning Strike at HHLA Service Companies SCA and SCB in Hamburg

Despite the efforts of HHLA, the service union ver.di has once again called for a 3-day warning strike until Thursday, February 4, 11:45 PM, at the HHLA service companies SCA and SCB in the Port of Hamburg.

Statement from the HHLA Board:

HHLA, as the employer, has been striving for a resolution in the collective bargaining conflict regarding the collective agreement at the HHLA service companies SCA and SCB for some time. However, ver.di continues to insist on demands that, from HHLA’s perspective, would lead to disproportionate cost increases, thereby jeopardizing the competitiveness of the company and the Port of Hamburg as a whole in light of significantly changing framework conditions. This warning strike is therefore disproportionate and irresponsible.

ver.di’s demands unacceptable in this form

At its core, ver.di demands a fundamental change in the regular working hours from Monday to Sunday towards a model with voluntary weekend work. This is unacceptable for HHLA in this form. The Port of Hamburg operates, like many other sectors represented by ver.di, seven days a week. Shift and working time models with seven days of regular work and corresponding time off are enshrined in collective agreements at six of the eight container terminals in the German Bight by ver.di. It is all the more incomprehensible for the employers’ commission of HHLA that ver.di insists on solutions at SCA and SCB that jeopardize employment.Regardless of the fact that an agreement has already been reached on 14 out of 20 points between the negotiating partners, the employers’ commission continues to advocate for the compromise proposal regarding weekend work presented on January 25. This would allow SCA and SCB employees, among other things, to voluntarily choose from various working time models with different weekend coverage agreed upon with the works council. HHLA continues to reject any concessions to ver.di’s demands, which would ultimately jeopardize both jobs and the company’s competitiveness, out of responsibility to employees, customers, and owners.

Call for Mediation

HHLA’s Labor Director Torben Seebold therefore once again appeals to the employee representatives to agree to mediation. Ver.di, however, continues to refuse to engage in this proven path to resolving deadlocked collective bargaining negotiations. HHLA has no understanding for this stance. A labor dispute is not only the wrong way to reach solutions in light of the challenges posed by the Corona pandemic.
The now declared 3-day warning strike is expected to have an impact on the handling activities of an infrastructure-critical company like HHLA. Customers have been informed accordingly. The affected service companies SCA and SCB at the Altenwerder and Burchardkai container terminals are working hard to meet their obligations to their customers despite the warning strike.
HHLA firmly rejects the accusation from ver.di representative Stephan Gastmeier that HHLA has attempted to pressure employees of the striking companies. Everyone has the democratic right to strike. However, everyone also has the right not to strike.

Are Striking Employees Threatened by ver.di?

Many HHLA employees are deeply disturbed and affected by the partially aggressive behavior of individual ver.di officials during the first warning strike last week. The fact that employees who did not want to strike were verbally threatened is a serious matter that HHLA does not tolerate.
In this context, HHLA has drafted a joint statement on respectful conduct even during a strike. It strongly condemns intimidation, verbal attacks, and threats of violence. Ver.di has had this statement since last Friday and has not yet signed it. Therefore, the HHLA board calls on all parties involved, despite differing views, to exercise moderation and careful behavior during the strike actions.
Photo: © HHLA
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