Disruption Cripples North Baltic Canal: Grim Aftermath Ensues
The Kiel Canal, one of Europe's busiest waterways, has been closed since Monday evening due to a strike by the trade union Verdi, aimed at wage negotiations in the public sector. The closure has resulted in a ripple effect, causing economic damage and disruption to various professions and businesses.
Jörg Brockmann, spokesperson for the Waterways and Shipping Office North-Ostsee-Kanal, stated that traffic management is not needed for the current vessel traffic on the canal, as there are only barges sailing. However, this does not alleviate the impact of the closure.
The shipping company Maersk Line from Copenhagen has had to alter its route due to the closure, with its container ship "Laura Maersk" being one of the last to pass through the canal on Monday afternoon. The ships that are unable to pass through the Kiel Canal are forced to travel around Skagen, a longer route.
The closure of the Kiel Canal may lead to an increase in emissions of climate-damaging CO2 due to the faster travel speeds required to keep schedules. This is a concern raised by experts, as the canal's closure could have far-reaching environmental implications.
The closure affects over 3,000 jobs, including pilots, canal pilots, shipbrokers, and employees of ship suppliers. The loss of income for these professions and businesses is significant, with the strike readiness among Verdi members reportedly high.
Canal pilot Molter expressed concern that the strike pay doesn't even come close to making up for the losses they would have had in normal operation. This sentiment is shared by Jens-Broder Knudsen of the initiative Kiel Canal, who criticized the strike for further damaging the image of the Kiel Canal in difficult times.
Trade unionist Schischefsky called on Verdi members at brokers and canal pilots to go on a solidarity strike. Dredging work is ongoing on the Kiel Canal during the strike, but the overall impact on the canal's operations is substantial.
The corvette "Emden" became known due to a sabotage attempt and was one of the ships that had to navigate the longer route around Skagen. However, it passed through the Kiel Canal on Tuesday night, leaving earlier than planned due to the strike.
The closure of the Kiel Canal has been estimated to cause over 1.5 million euros in economic damage per day in Germany, according to a study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) in 2021. This underscores the importance of resolving the strike as soon as possible to minimize the financial and operational impact on the region.
- The impact of the strike by Verdi trade union on the Kiel Canal, one of Europe's busiest waterways, extends beyond the public sector and has disrupted transportation, business, and finance sectors.
- The shipping company Maersk Line from Copenhagen has been affected by the closure, with its container ship "Laura Maersk" being one of the last to pass through the canal before the strike.
- The closure has also raised concerns about the environment, as an increase in emissions of climate-damaging CO2 could occur due to the faster travel speeds required to keep schedules.
- The strike not only affects over 3,000 jobs directly, but also has far-reaching implications on public-transit, energy, general-news, and crime-and-justice sectors due to the ripple effect of the closure.
