Newsletter – March 4, 2024

More Disruption: Lufthansa Staff Set To Strike Again On Thursday & Friday
simplefying.com
Following unsuccessful negotiations, the United Services Union (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft, ver.di) has called for Lufthansa’s ground-handling employees to strike for two days, ahead of the next round of negotiations between the union and the airline.
In its statement, ver.di urged Lufthansa’s ground-handling employees to strike, which would follow industrial action by employees at Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa Technik. The strikes are scheduled for March 7 and March 8, with the union referring to them as “warning strikes.”  Read more here.

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OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Port of Montreal Labour Relations Update
port-montreal.com
The Port of Montreal issued a reminder on Friday that the Maritime Employers Association and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 375 – Montreal Longshoremen continue to wait for a decision from the Canada Industrial Relations Board on the MEA’s application to recognize the work of the local’s members as essential. The two parties provided information requested by the CIRB on or before February 23.
Until a decision has been announced, neither party is allowed to apply pressure of any kind on the other. The port remains fully operational.

Cost of ‘Land Bridge’ Alternative to Panama Canal Too High for Carriers
Loadstar.com
Liner operators say they are unlikely to emulate Maersk in using land transport to circumvent the Panama Canal  restrictions, as moving containers by land in the Americas could drive costs up more than 30%.
In January, the Panama Canal Authority increased the number of daily transit slots to 24, despite first announcing a reduction to 18 for February. However, this is still fewer than the usual 36 daily transits through the waterway. Read more here (login required).

Rubymar sinks, with cargo of fertiliser a threat to Red Sea ecosystem
theloadstar.com
General-cargo ship Rubymar, abandoned in the Red Sea with its cargo of fertiliser, finally went under on Saturday after a fortnight of gradually sinking, becoming the Israel-Palestine conflict’s first vessel casualty.
The vessel was hit by a Yemeni anti-ship missile on 18 February, after it was linked by the Houthis to a company headquartered in the UK, and subsequently described as “British” in all their communications. Read more here.

Liner heavyweights sail in for some tough transpacific contract talks
theloadstar.com
Some 4,000 container shipping industry attendees are assembling at the Long Beach Convention Center in California for the biggest ever S&P Global TPM24 conference and networking event.
There is a buzz at the Hyatt Regency reception and TPM registration desks as industry partners from North America and the four quarters of the globe meet up and plan their conference sessions, meetings and networking events. Read more here (login required).

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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

India predicts hotter weather in risk to crops and exports
ajot.com
India forecast hotter-than-normal temperatures until May, posing a threat to crops and increasing the risk that the country’s curbs on grain exports will remain.
Maximum temperatures are likely to be above normal in most parts of the country, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the India Meteorological Department, said in an online briefing Friday. Higher-than-normal heat wave days are also seen during the three months to May, he said.  Read more here.