Passengers can come “normally” to Schiphol again on Saturday. According to the airport, people should consider crowds and potential delays or cancellations. Due to a strike by KLM staff, the departure halls were full earlier in the day. Schiphol called the people not to come anymore.
Employees involved in handling freight and baggage, among other things, expressed dissatisfaction with their workload and pay at 6 a.m. Saturday. As a result, dozens of flights were canceled at the largest airport in the Netherlands. A few flights were also canceled at Brussels Airport.
Aircraft from KLM and from KLM’s partners, such as Delta and Air France, that landed at Schiphol, were not offloaded. Staff still made sure people could get off the plane. But bags and suitcases remained in her ward, and long queues appeared. The strike was called off at noon.
It was already very busy in Schiphol due to the May holiday starting in the northern neighbors and people urged not to come to the airport anymore. The A4 motorway exits in Schiphol are also temporarily closed in both directions. As work resumed in the afternoon, the message was also received at 2:30 pm that travelers are welcome back.
The airport advises travelers to arrive on time, as it is still very busy at the airport. For example, passengers on European flights are advised to arrive two hours before departure. For long trips, the advice is three hours before departure. Schiphol does not yet know when the backlog at the airport will be settled.
Strike is over
According to FNV, the reason for the strike was KLM’s announcement that part of the staffing activities would be outsourced to Viggo, an independent handling company, due to staff shortages. The workers reportedly heard the news recently. According to them, the staff shortage is caused by poor working conditions, such as low wages and only flexible communications.
Angry KLM employees also spoke to the company’s chief operating officer, Rene de Groot. It is not known if any commitments were made there. The handling branch of KLM is the largest handler in Schiphol and accounts for nearly half of all flights.
