KLM ground crew strike at Schiphol today; 27,000 travelers' flights canceled
A large portion of KLM’s ground crew is striking at Schiphol Airport today. The airline has canceled over 100 flights, affecting 27,000 travelers. Schiphol urged travelers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
The strike is happening from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., but KLM warned that the consequences could last several days. “First and foremost, we are working hard to rebook all passenger so they arrive at their destination as quickly as possible,” KLM said on Tuesday. “This also involves the availability of our colleagues who work on the flights and, for example, the aircraft themselves.”
Trade unions FNV and CNV are striking for a better collective agreement for the ground crew. Among other things, they want at least a big enough wage increase to compensate for inflation. KLM reached an agreement with three other unions last week, but FNV and CNV rejected the proposal, saying that the airline had ignored their minimum requirements.
The unions said that they understand the strike would impact travelers and stressed that this was a last resort. But they can’t accept that KLM will hike the remuneration for pilots and management, while the ground crew has to accept deteriorating purchasing power. FNV and CNV are willing to return to the negotiation table if KLM is willing to meet their minimum requirements, the unions said.
Another strike is scheduled for next Wednesday, September 17.
