Last week, the judge banned the 24-hour strike at Grond. As a result, that action did not take place. Union members who had registered with us were informed about this.
Today, all unions were invited by KLM for a joint discussion about wages and the term of the new collective labor agreement. Eight unions, including De Unie, were present. At the beginning of the collective labor agreement process, it was agreed that these topics (wages and duration) would be discussed together with all unions — so for Ground, Cabin and Cockpit. KLM indicated in advance that they were willing to let go of the zero line and would come up with a wage offer.
What did KLM propose?
KLM said that leaving the zero line was not an easy decision and is willing to respond to the dissatisfaction among employees. They are looking for a balance.
This is the proposal that is now on the table:
- Term 22 months from 1 March 2025 to 31 December 2026.
- A one-off payment in October 2025 of €1,000 that will be paid partly net (€500) and partly gross (€500) to all KLM employees who have an active employment contract with KLM on 31 October 2025, based on active full-time employment during the entire measurement period from 1 March 2025 to 31 October 2025.
- As of July 1, 2026, a structural wage increase of up to 2.5%. This structural wage increase depends on KLM’s operating result for 2025 (COI margin 2025 excluding Transavia) in accordance with the scale below.
≥ 5.5% = 2.5%
≥ 4.9% = 2% ≥
≥ 3.7% = 1.5%
≥ 2.9% = 1%
< 2.9% = 0.5%
In addition, we have already discussed Land-specific topics informally. We have asked KLM to officially put these proposals on paper. This has now been done and we will first discuss this further with our executives.
Reaction of De Unie
We think it is positive that KLM has abandoned the zero line. We will discuss the wage proposal that is now on the table with our executives next Monday. In doing so, we mainly look at whether it fits in with our principle of maintaining purchasing power.
In addition, we will of course also take stock of the other topics, whereby our previous principles still apply.
- No forced redundancies at Back on Track (BoT).
- Modernize Annex 15 based on the current value.
- Only voluntary flex measures with corresponding bonus.
- IPB and adjust it where necessary.
- Expand subsidized part-time and properly develop new RVU.
- A separate collective labor agreement appendix for E&M/technicians, including their own schedules and integration of AMT.
New work stoppage announced
After the ban on the previous strike, another work stoppage has now been announced at Grond. On Wednesday 9 July between 14:00 and 22:00, some of the staff will stop working. KLM has already announced that it will go to court to stop this action. It is therefore not yet certain whether the work stoppage will continue.
Our position remains the same. As long as we are still in talks with KLM, there is no formal question of a stalled collective labor agreement. And that is an important condition for starting an action process. We are concerned about the consequences of actions: the damage to KLM can be considerable — financially and in terms of image.
But… We understand very well that fellow unions are disappointed. Some of our members are also fed up with it and want to take action. Out of conviction or out of solidarity. De Unie does not formally participate, but we do support our members who want to participate. After all, campaigning is an individual right.
Instructions for registering your participation in the 8-hour promotion can be found in our previous info, which you can read here . You will receive a response to your registration at the beginning of next week.
What now?
We will first take a good look at the wage proposal and KLM’s other proposals. After months of talks, something is finally on the table. After consultation with our executives, we will continue the conversation with KLM — both per domain and in a multi-context. The next multi-negotiation round(s) are scheduled for 10 and 11 July.
There is no ‘deal’ yet, we remain critical, but we do give it a chance.
After all, we still want to reach a good, new collective labor agreement quickly. You deserve that!
Do you have any questions or comments? Let us know via huug.brinkers@unie.nl
We will keep you informed!
Sincerely,
Advocate
