There is a major shortage of ground personnel at Schiphol. Two pilots helped load the luggage on a Transavia flight yesterday. On ten Transavia flights, the luggage could not or only partly be taken to the destination. According to FNV Schiphol, the problems have not yet been resolved.
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We have already been warned: a summer chaos at Schiphol due to a shortage of staff. And that is annoying for travelers. They arrive at their holiday address without luggage or experience delays.
Last weekend it became clear how dire the shortage is. Pilots helped load baggage on a Transavia flight. “The pilots had already made the flight preparations,” says a Transavia spokesperson. “They were actually waiting and were like ‘we’ll help you’.”
According to the spokesperson, it is not usual. “It was very busy, check-in often took longer because passengers did not have all the forms around corona in order and due to a shortage of ground staff, suitcases could sometimes not be loaded.”
‘Problem gets bigger’
It comes as no surprise to Joost van Doesburg of trade union FNV Schiphol. Before the summer, he predicted that the shortage of personnel would lead to problems. “The handling companies pay very little for heavy work. People have been laid off or left because of corona and see that they can earn more and easier money at other jobs,” he says. According to him, the fact that the pilots are now in the photo gives a good idea of the problem. “I also like that the pilots help.”
The summer holidays are the busiest period at Schiphol and the staff shortage is only increasing, according to Van Doesburg. “These are jobs with the lowest salaries and the workload is very high. People are also quitting.”
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A baggage employee of Viggo, the handling company with which Transavia works, also notices this. “In shifts of sometimes more than ten hours, the two of us do the work that should actually be done by at least four people,” he tells the US. “Every day I am asked if I can work an extra hour. I would actually work 40 hours a week, but I’m almost over that by default.”
Viggo says in a response to the NOS that he does not recognize himself in this image. “Our working conditions are above the industry average.”
Safety
The Transavia spokesperson emphasizes that there is not only a staff shortage at Schiphol. “It is not easy to solve. You also see it in the catering industry, healthcare and retail.” Still, the biggest problems will be over after the weekend, she says. “We have every interest in Viggo solving it quickly, so we also think along. More people will be deployed in the near future.”
With this, the airline also hopes to prevent new collisions with customers. Last Sunday there was unrest on a plane to Naples because not all luggage could be taken. The Marechaussee eventually removed a woman from the ship. “We can never guarantee that all luggage can be taken with us. Most passengers understand this, but at such moments the safety of the staff is at stake. Violence is never the solution.” All suitcases have now arrived at their destination.
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