Dock workers’ strike hits cargo handling at German ports

BERLIN (AP) — Dock workers at Germany’s North Sea ports are on strike in the latest of several walkouts that have added to pressures on shipping as their union demands a hefty pay rise to counter high inflation. The 48-hour strike, ends on Saturday morning, has largely paralyzed cargo handling at major German ports including Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven. It follows a 24-hour walkout in June and a previous one-shift warning strike. However, there will be no further strikes before late August under a deal reached at the labor court in Hamburg on Thursday night. The shipping industry already has been disrupted by a variety of issues, including the coronavirus restrictions in China.