Ship congestion in Magdeburg: Warning strike blocks Mittelland Canal!

Ship congestion in Magdeburg: Warning strike blocks Mittelland Canal!

Hohenwarthe, Deutschland - On February 17, 2025, around 20 inland ships were stuck at the Magdeburg waterway cross. The ships are at the transition from the Mittelland Canal to the Elbe-Havel channel, which leads to a significant impairment of shipping traffic. The Verdi trade union had informed the waterway and shipping office about the ongoing industrial action, but this message did not arrive in time with the inland nails concerned. Union secretary Benjamin Schladitz said that the employees at the Hohenwarthe lock are fighting for financial allowances and more appreciation. This laying of work, which should last until Monday evening, could affect the entire shipping in the region.

The Waterstrasse Cross Magdeburg, which connects the channels with each other, plays a central role in inland navigation. It crosses the Mittelland Canal over the Elbe and includes both the Mittelland Canal and the Elbe Havel Canal. The 918 -meter -long trough bridge, which was opened in 2002, makes shipping significantly easier because it previously meant a detour for ships between Berlin and Hanover. In the spring of 2024, a temporary blocking of the bridge is planned, which will take a few weeks for renovation work.

Current challenges of inland navigation

The current situation of inland navigation is also burdened by economic challenges. A weak economic environment and high interest rates in the construction industry have negative effects on inland navigation. According to the latest statistics, a total of 171.1 million tons of goods were transported by inland ship in 2023, which corresponds to a decline of 5.9 % compared to the previous year. The quantity losses for coal transports are particularly remarkable, which are due to a decreasing coal electricity.

Overall, the traffic performance of inland navigation has decreased by 5.9 % to 41.5 billion tons of kilometers. In comparison, freight traffic on the rails and truck transport have also dropped. The most non -tonnage driving areas remained the Rhine area, the West German sewer area and the Mittelland Canal region, whereby a decline of 1.5 % was recorded in the Mittelland Canal region.

future prospects and collective bargaining

On Monday, February 19, 2025, important collective bargaining between unions, the federal government and the municipal employers are on the agenda. These negotiations could be crucial for the end of the strikes at the Hohenwarthe lock. It remains to be seen whether the talks lead to a positive result that can improve the working conditions of the employees.

Water road traffic has changed significantly over the years. Forecasts were originally optimistic, and an increase in freight transport was expected by about 600 % after the Magdeburg waterway cross was completed. However, only about 10 % of the forecast traffic volume showed the actual figures of 2010. At the moment it shows that the need for certain transport goods continues to decrease, which also puts the industry under pressure.

Inland navigation not only sees challenges in the processing infrastructure, but also in a changing economic landscape that questions its future development. Negotiations of the coming days could possibly be the key to set the course for a positive turn.

For more information about the Wasserstraßenkreuz Magdeburg and the current location of the inland navigation, you can do the articles on mdr , Wikipedia and READ.