Schiphol working conditions unsafe & unhealthy, union says

Due to Schiphol always focusing on cutting costs to remain the cheapest airport, employees there are working in unsafe and unhealthy conditions, trade union FNV said to Trouw after surveying 1,100 of its members who work at Schiphol. 

"The race to the bottom has to end, with lower and lower rates," Joost van Doesburg of FNV said to the newspaper. According to the union, Schiphol is "exploiting health" to cut costs.

Almost half the surveyed employees said they work in areas where they breathe in dust and exhaust fumes, the union said. More than half said they have to lift, push and pull on a regular basis, and a large number struggle with the noise. Others experience health problems from working night shifts, the union said.

Safety at the airport is also at stake, because there is little room for criticism, according to FNV. One respondent said that criticism just lands you in the most difficult job. Only a third of security workers at Schiphol said their managers consider quality more important than speed.

The union wants Schiphol to focus less on remaining the cheapest airport in Europe and more on its employees, by increasing minimum wage to 14 euros gross per hour and creating more permanent jobs, among other things.

In a response, Schiphol told the newspaper that it does not recognize itself in FNV's criticism. Quality always comes first and the health of employees is taken seriously, a spokesperson said. According to the airport, the union often comes with complaints and criticism without having concrete examples.