KLM's 14,000 ground workers could soon strike as contract negotiations hit logjam
The 14,000 workers who handle ground operations for KLM are considering their options to walk off the job after the Dutch airline declined to present a final offer by a deadline set by labor unions. The FNV and CNV unions demanded a break in the impasse by noon on Friday, and KLM told them at 11:51 a.m. that an ultimatum was issued prematurely. In its latest offer, the airline is standing firm on freezing wages for at least two years.
The ground staff represents nearly half of KLM's entire staff, and FNV is considering a 24-hour strike, but has yet to set a date. CNV said they would honor a pledge to keep any labor actions "public-friendly" until after the upcoming NATO Summit. This was at the request from the national government and security services. The NATO Summit ends on June 26, and the southern region of the Netherlands begins the summer school holiday on July 5. The vacation period kicks off in the northern region on July 12, and in the central region a week later.
But the atmosphere between the two sides is not positive, with the thousands of workers out of contract since March. Union representatives tell NL Times that KLM cut it very close in reaching out on Friday, but did not improve their stance. The FNV told ANP that the airline did not take "any steps towards the demands."
"As far as KLM is concerned, the negotiations are not yet concluded. No final offer has been made, and we believe there are still plenty of opportunities to continue the conversation," KLM spokesperson Anouschka Aspeslagh told NL Times. She said the airline wants a contract that "reflects the dedication" of the ground staff, but at the same time, it has to fit "KLM's current financial reality."
"We gave KLM more than two weeks and only received a response at the very last moment. And that is not positive. So we are now considering possible actions," said CNV negotiator Souleiman Amallah. "We want people to progress instead of regress. KLM's decision to only respond nine minutes before the ultimatum expired and to still decline to present anything additional is now adding fuel to the fire."
The airline told ANP it was disappointed by the strike threat. "Our door remains open for further discussions," Aspeslagh said.
"The willingness to take action is exceptionally high. So KLM has been warned," Amallah stated. In addition to a wage increase for all ground crew workers, the unions want a decent early retirement scheme for those who do physically taxing work. FNV also wants KLM to increase the one-time bonus the airline pays out if the company achieves certain operational milestones.
CNV called it “unacceptable” that KLM wants to freeze ground crew’s salaries while pilots received 29 million euros in returns in January, and KLM directors awarded themselves an increase in variable remuneration of over 32 percent last year. “The relationships within KLM are completely out of balance. We demand that this inequality be rectified,” the trade union previously said.
KLM ground staff includes employees who handle the bags, tow the aircraft, or speak to passengers in the departure halls. FNV and CNV gave the airline an ultimatum at the end of May after 20 rounds of negotiations led to no agreement. “Without [the ground crew], there are no flights, yet KLM seems to be deaf to their justified demands. It is now time to send a clear message,” FNV board member John van Dorland said at the time.
