KLM does not understand the attitude of the unions, which, according to the company, prefer to take action instead of conducting consultations about an “improved collective labor agreement proposal”. According to KLM, a meeting outside the collective agreement table was planned at the request of the unions, so that the trade union movement could then determine whether and how it would like to continue the collective agreement consultations. But according to KLM, the informal meeting was eventually canceled by the unions.
The unions set a deadline for KLM to come up with an improved proposal. In addition to a salary increase, employees of the company also demand more permanent employees and fewer heavy rosters. KLM had then offered the unions to discuss an improved collective labor agreement proposal on wages and duration on 26 August.
“Time and time again the same long-playing record goes on at the company with just an invitation for informal consultation without the required substantially improved wage offer being met”, the Dutch Cabin Personnel Association (VNC) criticizes KLM’s attitude.
Calls ignored
The union emphasized that KLM has ignored “countless calls” from the unions to come up with a “concrete and substantially improved structural wage offer” that does justice to the deployment of staff in recent years.
The trade unions said earlier that they should consider the next steps if a compensation from KLM is not received. It is not yet clear whether or not actions will come and what they might look like.