Travelers can ‘normally’ come to Schiphol again on Saturday. According to the airport, people should take into account crowds and possible delays or cancellations. Due to a strike by KLM employees, the departure halls were full earlier in the day. Schiphol had called on people not to come anymore.
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Personnel involved in, among other things, the handling of freight and luggage, expressed their dissatisfaction with the workload and the remuneration at 6 am on Saturday morning. As a result, dozens of flights were canceled at the largest airport in the Netherlands. A handful of flights were also canceled at Brussels Airport.
Aircraft from KLM and KLM partners, such as Delta and Air France, landing at Schiphol were not unloaded. Staff still ensured that people can leave the plane. But suitcases and bags remained in the hold, and long queues arose. The strike was called off around noon.
It was already very busy at Schiphol because of the May holiday that started at the northern neighbors and people were urged not to come to the airport anymore. The exits of the A4 highway at Schiphol were also temporarily closed in both directions. Because work had resumed in the afternoon, the message was also received at 2.30 pm that travelers were welcome again.
The airport advises travelers to arrive on time, because it is still very busy at the airport. For example, passengers for European flights are advised to be present two hours before departure. For long-haul flights, the advice is three hours before departure. Schiphol does not yet know when the backlog at the airport will be made up.
– Photo: AFP
Strike ended
According to FNV, the reason for the strike was the announcement by KLM that part of the staff’s activities will be outsourced to Viggo, an independent handling company, due to staff shortages. Workers reportedly heard the news recently. According to them, the staff shortages are caused by poor working conditions, such as low wages and only flexible contacts.
The angry KLM employees also spoke to the company’s operational director René de Groot. It is not known whether any commitments have been made there. KLM’s handling branch is the largest handler at Schiphol and accounts for approximately half of all flights.
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