At the largest airport in the Netherlands, Amsterdam-Schiphol, passengers had to be patient on Saturday. Numerous KLM ground workers spontaneously went on a “wildcat strike” that was not coordinated or agreed with the unions.

There were significant delays and cancellations of numerous connections that KLM had planned for Saturday. Schiphol Airport asked travelers in the morning not to travel to the airport for security reasons. The conditions were sometimes chaotic, because long queues formed in front of the counters. Irrespective of this, there are said to have been longer waiting times at the security checks.

According to official information, around 150 KLM employees from the baggage handling department took part in the spontaneous work stoppage. Management contacted them directly in order to be able to alleviate the chaotic situation as quickly as possible. Among other things, the ground staff are demanding higher wages and better working conditions. You also want to achieve that more employees are hired, because you see yourself heavily overworked.

The “wildcat strike” also hit KLM hard because of the start of the holiday season in the Netherlands. According to numerous airlines, the flight connections are in high demand this weekend and many flights are said to be fully booked.