New hand luggage tender could again cause massive lines at Schiphol, trade union says

There will be more massive queues at Schiphol if the airport goes ahead with a new tender for hand luggage control next year, trade union CNV told the Telegraaf.

Schiphol currently has five security companies working at the airport. Travelers mainly encounter them at the hand lungate control. The contracts must be put out to tender again for five years, and Schiphol is preparing the procedure.

CNV is concerned. “There is finally peace after turbulent years. By turning everything upside down again, Schiphol runs the risk of horrific queues again next year. Staff could also go elsewhere,” Erik Maas of the trade union told the newspaper.

In the summer of 2022, staff shortages in security led to massive lines and thousands of travelers missing their flights. Around 5,000 security guards work at Schiphol. If their company doesn’t win the tender again, they’ll have to be “taken over” by the company that does win. But that isn’t automatic, CNV said.

“Schiphol runs the risk that security guards will drop out again. The tender leads to chaos and anger because employees have to get used to different schedules, managers, and different systems again.”

The union realizes that tendering must follow European regulations, but Maas sees a middle ground. The airport could postpone the tender and take a different approach.

CNV wants Schiphol to set up a separate company together with the security companies in the form of a joint venture, for example. “That would be like in-tendering. In such a situation, Schiphol itself has more responsibility and has more control. We have seen before that when Schiphol intervened with the recruitment of new staff in the chaotic summer of 2022, things went a lot faster,” Maas said.

“Security should not be outsourced to five companies that compete with each other to death. How seriously do we take the security of one of the most important places in our country?”

Schiphol said it has noted the union’s wishes. “In the tender, we are aiming for a long-term partnership with clear agreements and stability. The working conditions and terms are very important in this. The staff are central to these new contracts,” a spokesperson for the airport told the newspaper, declining to comment further until the start of the tender.