Shipping company enters into collective agreement :
Dock workers lift blockade of ship for Ørsted projects

Now the mobilization of the installation ship Seaway Ventus from the shipping company Seaway7 can continue in the port of Esbjerg. This is happening after a collective agreement has been reached for the seafarers on board.

The dockworkers had blocked the ship on Friday last week demanding a transfer fee for the seafarers on the ship. The vessel is being prepared to work on two German offshore wind farms, which are partly owned by Ørsted.

- We stopped the blockade immediately today at 13:30, when we received confirmation that a collective agreement had been reached for the seafarers, says the dockworkers' chairman Brian Reichle and elaborates:

- I heard last night that a solution was possibly on the way. But when I spoke to the captain of the ship this morning at our daily morning meeting, he didn't know anything yet.

Now the dockers have ensured that a collective agreement has been reached for the seafarers on Seaway Ventus in Norway.

- I am pleased that the agreement has been reached. Now I think that Ørsted, as a state-owned company, must remember collective agreements in the future to ensure people have decent working conditions, says Brian Reichle and recalls why the dockers started the blockade:

- We did this so that the seafarers have decent conditions. You are actually seeing conditions that you would not imagine in 2024.

3F Transport: Sad that a blockade was needed

The dockworkers' union, 3F Transport, has supported their members and their blockade, which was the culmination of a month-long attempt to enter into dialogue directly with Ørsted.

- I am happy that an agreement has been reached. But it is striking that it took so long and that a blockade was needed. It is sad, and Ørsted should think about it, concludes 3F Transport chairman Jakob Lykke.

Both the dockworkers' chairman and the 3F chairman agree on one thing:

- We have received enormous support for our blockade from all over the world, says Brian Reichle, who is getting support again.

- It is really heartening with the support that we have experienced here, says Jakob Lykke.

Shipping company and Ørsted: A way forward has been found

DOI.dk has received the following written comment from the shipping company Seaway7:

"We have found a satisfactory way forward for the project in connection with the blockade in the Port of Esbjerg after discussions between all parties," says Seaway7, which does not mention the collective agreement directly.

Ørsted can now continue with the German wind projects, and there is also satisfaction among the company.

"We understand that a way forward has been found, which we are of course happy about," Ørsted writes in a written response.

According to the dockworkers' chairman, there are only a few days of work left in the mobilization before Seaway Ventus is fully mobilized.

Wages and working conditions are sustainability

The director of the Port of Esbjerg is pleased with the signed collective agreement, and he is already looking forward to the upcoming projects.

- A large part of the wind farms in the North Sea will be installed from here in Esbjerg. It is important that this work will take place under conditions that all parties agree on. That is also sustainability, says Dennis Jul Pedersen.

Wages and working conditions are part of the UN's global goals. The wind turbine industry is already known for supporting and complying with the SDGs.