MSC’s purchase of 49,9 per cent of the share of HHLA was approved in first reading by the Hamburg Parliament. A second and final reading is now scheduled for September, with politicians opposing the initiative raising their voices against it.

Most of the 71 Members of Parliament who voted in favour are part of the traffic light coalition, which currently rules Germany. The 34 votes against came from both the left and the right, more specifically the Christian Democrats, Die Linken and Alternative für Deutschland.

The first rumours about MSC’s plan to acquire HHLA’s shares surfaced in September 2023, when the city of Hamburg approved the plan. Already back then, this initiative caused various controversies, especially among HHLA’s workforce, who feel their jobs might be at risk. MSC’s entrance into HHLA was also approved by the board of the German company in November 2023.

‘Redundancy ban should be made permanent’

One of the main bones of contention is that the agreement entails a five-year ban on redundancies for HHLA employees. In other words, the German company will be forbidden to place workers in redundancy funds. However, German parties including the Social Democrats and the Greens fear that, once the agreement expires, HHLA workers might find themselves out of jobs. Thus, they are asking for the redundancy ban to be maintained permanently.