New Strike Prolongs Troubles at APM Terminals Gothenburg

APM Terminals in Gothenburg was hit with a new 24-hour strike on Tuesday, following yet another failure between the Swedish dockworkers and company representatives to find a middle ground on the pending issues.

Representatives from APM Terminals and the Swedish Dockworker’s union Hamn 4:an, met on Monday 23th of May to continue the discussions from last week.

“Even though the discussions have been held in a constructive manner, we have had difficulties to agree on the main items and will consequently face another strike,” APM Terminals said in an update.

The strike was launched  at 16:00 hrs on Tuesday. At 07:00 hrs an overtime ban started which continued 8 hours after the strike ended on Wednesday.

“Both parties are keen on agreeing on terms that will be beneficial for our customers who are the ones suffering the most from this conflict. The parties intend to resume the mediation when the business is operational again without major disruptions,” the update further reads.

The latest industrial action was announced at the beginning of May, with workers voicing their plans to stop all operation at the terminal for 24 hours on May 17 and May 24. The decision to move forward with the strikes practically broke off the mediation process between the two parties launched on May 11.

The workers’ main requirements include demand for a separate collective agreement and decision on how many persons can participate in a negotiation. They also contain other issues related to job satisfaction at the terminal.

The port operator could not provide any details on when the next negotiation will follow as no decision on the matter was made yet.

World Maritime News Staff