KLM will drop pay freeze demands with new offer to worker unions

Dutch airline KLM says it will make a new contract offer to labor unions representing its workers, including ground crew employees who had planned a 24-hour strike on Saturday. The unions were particularly angered by KLM's demand to freeze worker wages leading to the planned labor action, which was blocked by a court injunction.

KLM plans to invite all ten unions representing the airlines' workforce to a new round of talks on July 2. The airline wants to discuss all four collective bargaining agreements currently being negotiated.

That consultation should focus on wages and the duration of the contracts. The two subjects have been hotly contested, and are relevant to each of these negotiations, according to KLM.

"Despite the financial challenges that KLM faces, we want to accommodate our colleagues. We are committed to reaching a solution together with the unions. It is especially important now that we make agreements that are good for all colleagues and our company," HR Director Miriam Kartman said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the a judge at the District Court of Noord-Holland blocked the strike during summary proceedings at a courtroom in Haarlem. The judge empathized with the unions and did not block them from striking in the future, but the court noted the intense problems which would arise on Saturday. Schiphol Airport, where KLM is based, is expecting a peak travel day on Saturday.

The 24-hour strike was called by the FNV and CNV unions after KLM did not improve its offer by a deadline the unions set. KLM said such a deadline was premature and filed a lawsuit, arguing the negotiations were still productive. In siding with KLM, the judge gave significant weight to arguments from Schiphol Airport about the disruption a strike would cause to passengers, airlines, and the Marechaussee officers.

The military branch handles many security and border control tasks at the airport. The Marechaussee already relied on its officers heavily this week due to increased security at the NATO Summit in The Hague.