German Seafarers Agree to New 30-Month Contract with Real Wage Increases

German shipowners, the association for the industry, and the trade union ver.di are all saying that a fair agreement has been reached for a new contract for German seafarers. They concluded an agreement during the second round of talks, which took place on December 4, and will apply to all seafarers sailing on German-flag ships that are members of the collective bargaining association.

The two sides had been far apart during their first negotiations in November, raising the possibility of disruptions to German-flag shipping. The union opened the negotiations by calling for a 9.5 percent pay increase with a 12-month contract. They highlighted that real wages had decreased 6.5 percent over the past five years due to inflation. The shipping companies started with a position offering a 2.1 percent increase for 2026 and 2 percent for 2027.

German seafarers had demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the offers by staging demonstrations at the offices of the major companies, including Hapag-Lloyd, Fairplay. TT-Line, BLE, and the pilot association. Members said that if ver.di called for actions or strikes, they would participate.

German shipowners highlighted that it is a challenging time for the industry with many uncertainties. The German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) said its focus was to ensure the long-term economic stability and viability of the sector. They called the terms of the agreement “reasonable” and said it recognizes the contributions of seafarers.

The agreement provides for a 3 percent wage increase in 2026 and a further 2.8 percent starting on January 1, 2027. The contract runs till June 30, 2028.

“We were able to achieve a real wage increase for seafarers,” said a ver.di negotiator. Steffen Wanke, a member of the collective bargaining commission and employee of Fairplay Towage Group, said the agreement was “The maximum that could be achieved.” He said with falling freight rates and other pressures, there had not been “much room to raise wages.”

Ver.di said it would use the 30-month contract term to become stronger in the shipping sector. It predicted that it would be able to mount more resistance in future negotiations.