On Friday, September 16, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines presented its proposal to the five unions representing KLM staff with the aim of reaching a fresh collective agreement (CLA) for the airline’s ground personnel.
KLM Ground Personnel Union Proposal: Highlights
- Wage Augmentations: KLM’s proposal includes a wage enhancement, amounting to €135 gross per month. It will come into play from 1 September 2023. Following this, starting from 1 October 2023, employees will get a 6% wage hike. Additionally, employees can anticipate a one-time payment of €500 by January 2024. By July 2024, another 3% wage increase will go into effect. Finally, in January 2025, depending on inflation, employees can expect a raise between 0% and 2%.
- Promising Future for Minimum Wage: KLM ground personnel can expect the minimum wage to increase above €16 an hour in keeping with the aforementioned wage hikes. This minimum wage will be active during the agreement’s span from 2 March 2023 to 28 February 2025.
- Employee Welfare Initiatives: KLM plans to incorporate measures to ensure employees don’t face burnout. A major highlight is reintroducing the temporary part-time pre-retirement blueprint, also known as the “80-90-100 scheme”. This primarily aims to facilitate an earlier retirement for employees handling the most physically demanding tasks. A bridging allowance will also be provided, making the transition to less strenuous tasks smoother.
Union Responses
FNV and CNV, two prominent unions representing KLM ground personnel, consider the proposal as a negotiation result, gearing up to present it to their dedicated membership bases. Three other key unions, De Unie, NVLT, and VKP have indicated they consider this KLM’s final proposal. Their decision on whether they view it as a negotiation result is pending.
KLM is hopeful of reaching an agreement with all five ground unions.