The shipping industry in Denmark, home to some of the world’s largest firms, agreed to double wages for crew sailing through the Red Sea to compensate for the danger posed by the recent attacks.
The hazard pay kicks in for the time spent in two defined high-risk areas in the region, according to a deal presented on Friday by employer group Danish Shipping and the nation’s three largest labor unions for seafarers.
Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, the world’s second-largest container line, is one of the companies preparing to resume shipping through the Red Sea after initially sailing the long way south of Africa. Others are taking a more cautious approach: shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd AG confirmed on Friday it will continue to avoid the Red Sea and will review the decision on Jan. 2.
Data this week showed that half of the container-ship fleet that regularly transits the Red Sea and Suez Canal is avoiding the route. Diverting around Africa can take as much as 25% longer than using the Suez Canal shortcut between Asia and Europe, adding to costs that may ultimately be passed on to consumers. And it comes just as the other major trade shortcut, the Panama Canal, is suffering from drought, adding to the potential economic risks.