due to a 36-hour "warning strike" by the German Verdi union in a public sector wage dispute, container shipping has been shut down and ships have been unable to enter Hamburg's maritime terminal via the Elbe River.
after the protest action started on Wednesday's night shift and will end at 6 am on Friday, all ships 90 meters in length or 13 meters in width and above will be affected, carriers have been forced to adjust arrivals and departures at Europe's third largest container port, which covers most container ships above the feeder size.
It is understood about 18 Hamburg-bound boats have been affected by the river closure.
Hamburg Port Authority said it had "decided to close the Elbe from 10 a.m. (March 22) until further notice as the announced warning strike is expected to cause large-scale restrictions." The HPA said it was forced to close the Elbe because the strike would affect pilot transfer ship operators and pilots would not be able to reach or leave the vessel.
Hapag-Lloyd spokesman Tim Seifert said several ships were currently being handled in the port of Hamburg and the extent of the delays caused by the strike would become increasingly apparent in the coming days. In order to offset the delay as much as possible to adjust the arrival and departure of the ships, we have taken corresponding measures with the terminal operator. However, due to the strike, three ships will be able to arrive or leave in about one day.
last summer, Verdi's 24-hour strikes, one lasting 48 hours, severely disrupted the supply chain. Hamburg, the container terminal in Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven were subsequently closed, creating a huge bottleneck for Hamburg, which is already struggling with severe traffic congestion.
CEO and co-founder of Container xChange, the container availability platform, said that for Hamburg as a port location, these strikes will only reduce its attractiveness for freight, because of the increasing competition from other ports and terminals. This will affect the reliability of the carrier's shipping schedule, and the interruption of cargo flow will affect Hamburg's competitive position.
in France, last week's three-day national strike similarly disrupted container shipping and inland logistics operations in the Nordic hub ports of Le Havre and the Port of Forth. Maersk told customers that the strike had led to delays and port omissions, and that during the strike the station was closed and all trains to and from Le Havre and Foss were canceled.
Forwardernet.com