Dutch unions announce strike for KLM ground staff on June 28
Milos Ruzicka / Shutterstock.com
By Simone Jacobs
UPDATE: The Dutch courts have ruled that the KLM ground staff will not be allowed to strike, therefore walkouts will not take place on June 28. The judge agreed that the strike would create major risks to safety and order, especially since the NATO summit had occurred so recently, and traffic chaos is still returning to normal.
Trade unions FNV and CNV have announced that KLM ground staff in the Netherlands will strike on Saturday, June 28. The strike could result in flight delays and cancellations.
Strike for KLM ground workers on Saturday, June 28
KLM ground staff will take part in walkouts starting at 2am on Saturday, June 28, until 2am on Sunday, June 29. The strikes will take place at Schiphol Plaza. KLM has warned passengers that flights on this day could face delays or cancellations due to the strike.
FNV demands that the Dutch airline provide employees with higher wages in the collective labour agreement and better compensation for the early retirement scheme (RVU) that allows staff who perform hard work to retire early. "We want to maintain purchasing power,” FNV negotiator John van Dorland told NOS. “KLM rewards pilots generously. It is incomprehensible that this does not happen with people on the ground."
KLM goes to court to prevent strike
Calling the planned strike “completely out of proportion”, KLM has filed summary proceedings to prevent the strike from taking place on Saturday. The Dutch flag carrier states that the strike is damaging to the company, “especially in the difficult financial position KLM finds itself in”.
High fuel prices, rising fees at Schiphol Airport and loss of routes have led to a decline in KLM’s revenue. The results of court proceedings will be released on Wednesday, June 25. The airline is still making preparations for passengers in the event that the strike does go ahead.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more