HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - The trade union Verdi has called on employees from port companies, members of the DGB trade unions and citizens of Hamburg to demonstrate against the sale of shares in the port logistics company HHLA to the world's largest container shipping company MSC. The aim of the demonstration next Wednesday is to emphatically underline the opposition to privatization, the union announced on Saturday. The further privatization of the Port of Hamburg not only poses risks for the employees, but also endangers the interests of the city society.

"The interests of a private investor only coincide with those of the city and its citizens in very few respects," said Sandra Goldschmidt, regional head of Verdi Hamburg. Further privatization of HHLA would make it much more difficult for the port to develop strategically in a way that makes sense for the city's society in the long term, including from an environmental and climate policy perspective. "Instead of correcting the CDU's wrong decision to partially privatize HHLA in 2007, the current red-green Senate is planning to further reduce its stake in HHLA. We therefore call on the members of the Hamburg Parliament to stop this madness and vote against the planned sale of around 20 percent of HHLA shares."

Since the plans were announced in autumn 2023, Verdi has been warning of the possible negative effects of privatization on employment, working conditions and tariffs. The promise to exclude dismissals for operational reasons for five years appears to be insufficient protection. At the same time, the future of more than 3000 employees in Eurogate, the entire port operation, the lashing, mooring, tug and other trades remains unclear.

Hamburg's red-green Senate officially approved the agreed entry of the Hapag-Lloyd rival into the Hamburg port logistics company HHLA on Tuesday. The city and the Geneva-based Italian Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) intend to run Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) as a joint venture in future, with the city holding a majority of 50.1 percent. The city currently owns around 70 percent of the listed HHLA, which is to remain in its current form until the end of 2026. The Hamburg City Parliament still has to approve the controversial deal./gw/DP/zb