Last week, labour unions FNV Beveilging and CNV Vakmensen announced a 24-hour strike by security employees at Schiphol airport on September 4. That strike has now been cancelled.

An agreement has been reached

Together with FNV and CNV, labour union De Unie has reached an agreement with the employers of the 4.000 security employees at Schiphol. Thanks to this agreement, the security employees will receive a one-time salary increase of 700 euros, as well as a 5 percent increase for 2019 and 2020. Agreements have also been made concerning the work pressure and working hours.

“Thanks to the agreements made, the security employees will be able to have a better work-life balance. The pay rise shows that the employers appreciate the important work the Schiphol security employees carry out, day and night”, says negotiator Gertjan Tommel van De Unie.

Schiphol relieved

The now-cancelled strike on September 4 would have affected more than 200.000 travellers travelling through Schiphol, which is why the airport is relieved that the involved parties have reached an agreement. Newspaper AD reports that KLM alone would have had to cancel 600 departing flights.

Other work stoppages

Around 31.000 people work under the Private Security collective labour agreement, and for the past six weeks, security personnel across the country have been holding brief work stoppages. The above-mentioned agreement only applies to the security employees at Schiphol, but CNV negotiator Erik Maas is hopeful other agreements can be reached soon.