Dock workers in Germany strike

BERLIN — Dock workers at Germany’s North Sea ports went on strike Friday in the latest of several walkouts that have added pressures on shipping as their union demands a hefty pay rise to counter high inflation.

The strike, which is to end on Saturday morning, has largely paralyzed cargo handling at major ports including Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven. It follows a 24-hour walkout in June and a previous one-shift warning strike.

However, there will be no further strikes before late August under a deal reached at the labor court in Hamburg on Thursday night, the court said. The agreement calls for the two sides to set three further dates for negotiations up to Aug. 26.