Flying Tomorrow? Schiphol Strike Action Set to Continue Wednesday

Ongoing strikes by KLM ground staff have been recently causing chaos and interruptions at Schiphol Airport. On Monday, around 500 employees stopped work. After failing to reach a resolution with their employer they will strike again on Wednesday. 

The FNV trade union made the announcement on Monday as part of their fight for better working conditions.

“After the first work break on Monday morning, no response has yet been received from KLM. That is why we will continue with the next action on Wednesday,” FNV director Jan van den Brink told nu.nl.

When will the strike take place?

The ground staff will stop working Wednesday morning between 8am and 10am, so if you’re planning on flying out anywhere near these hours it’s best to double-check with your airline.

The strike by KLM ground staff may affect your flight. Travellers are advised to keep an eye on current flight information by checking their airline’s website, as well as Schiphol's website and app. https://t.co/yO7ik6PBUg

— Schiphol (@Schiphol) September 2, 2019

Monday’s strike caused 67 flights to be delayed or cancelled, with only 11 of these announced in advance.

What will happen next?

The union is threatening more strike action if KLM does not come to the table, said FNV campaign leader Joost van Doesburg.

Onze boodschap aan @KLM is helder. Het belangrijke werk dat het grondpersoneel uitvoert, verdient een goede cao. Daar gaan we voor. Daarom is er woensdag van 8.00u tot 9.00u weer een werkonderbreking. https://t.co/gScKzlxmUs pic.twitter.com/7BKu8XAWgg

— FNV (@FNV) September 2, 2019

FNV is fighting for better working conditions for the 15,000 workers. KLM have offered up to a 3% pay increase in one year, but the union wants to see 8% in two years, a more predictable roster, and more permanent jobs. Sounds fair enough to us – where can we get some of that?

What does KLM think?

Well, they’re not a fan of the strikes obviously. In a statement they described the action as ‘incomprehensible’ and ‘unnecessary.’

“Striking is a constraint for the traveler and costs money that we would rather invest in our company and an attractive profit share for our employees,” the statement read.

KLM have invited the unions for discussions early next week, with several agreeing to attend so far.

What do you think of the strikes so far? Have you been inconvenienced? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Andrey Belenko on Flickr. CC2.0.