Ground staff at Schiphol Airport to strike twice in next two weeks

Travellers can expect more disruption at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport this week and next week, after KLM ground staff announced that they would strike on September 24 and October 1, 2025. 

Schiphol ground staff to strike on September 24 and October 1

After two warning strikes over the past few weeks, which each saw around 100 flights cancelled, KLM ground staff are gearing up for two more strikes in the coming days. On Wednesday, September 24, ground staff will strike for six hours between 6am and 12pm, and on October 1 the strike will last for eight hours, between 6am and 2pm, according to a press release.

The strike is being organised by unions FNV and CNV and concerns salaries for 14.000 ground staff - the employees responsible for loading and unloading baggage, moving aircraft and assisting passengers. The unions are upset after KLM reached agreements with other unions that promised pay rises for pilots and board members. They argue that ground workers are losing out compared to other employees in the industry. 

CNV union said it expects the strikes to have a “significant impact”, largely shutting down KLM operations on the affected days. On Monday evening, KLM announced that it was cancelling 119 flights on Wednesday, September 24, due to the strike. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. 

KLM says strike is irresponsible and unjustified 

The strike on October 1 isn’t necessarily the end of the disruption, either. FNV has said that it is prepared to coordinate with CNV to further escalate strike action until KLM comes forward with a “concrete proposal”. 

While the unions are accusing KLM of playing different groups of employees off against each other, according to NL Times, a spokesperson for KLM hit back by saying that the financial impact of the strikes would make it even harder for them to meet the union’s demands. Describing the strikes as “irresponsible and unjustified”, the spokesperson said that they were “putting KLM’s future at risk”.