Like their colleagues at sister company Air France, the pilots at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines threatened to take industrial action if their claims were not satisfied by August 17, 2018.
Vereniging Nederlandse Verkeersvliegers (VNV), the main pilot union at KLM, sent a letter to its members explaining that if measures were not taken by parent company Air France-KLM to lighten the workload of its pilots, a strike would be called on August 17, 2018. The letter was published in Dutch media De Telegraaf.
The decision follows failed negotiations on August 10, 2018, after which KLM recognized the situation reached a “difficult phase” resulting in a deadlock. “KLM takes the objections and wishes of its pilots seriously,” says the company in an official statement.
“KLM believes that, in combination with the previously negotiated agreement in principle, this package should bring about the desired reduction in work pressure and improvement of the work-life balance of pilots.” The airline refused to disclose the content of the package in order not to interfere with the negotiations.
KLM previously tabled a draft agreement including a 4% raise in wage and an increase of holidays starting in 2019. The union however rejected the proposal, demanding for the measures to be enforced retroactively on the whole year of 2018.