During the busy May holidays and the upcoming summer, travelers to Schiphol may have to take into account the maximum number of passengers that can leave the airport each day. Transport companies in Schiphol are still looking for hundreds of new employees.
“If this issue is not resolved in a few weeks, Schiphol will have to intervene again,” says Ruud Sondag, Schiphol’s new CEO, in an interview with Het Financieele Dagblad. A Schiphol spokesperson confirms this.
The airport has issued an ultimatum to the companies involved: The issue must be resolved within a few weeks, otherwise the number of permitted flights will have to dwindle again as May and summer holidays approach.
“We are raising the red flag,” says Sondag at FD. “We will intervene as things are not going well. We’ve talked to everyone about resolving this staffing gap and nothing helps.” Sondag’s ultimatum is aimed at manipulating companies and airlines. According to Schiphol, it falls to these parties to find a solution.
Striking
The interview published on FD on Sunday is remarkable. In January, Schiphol announced that it would lift the number of passengers. “For the May holidays, we expect 70,000 passengers a day without endless queues and signs turning red due to canceled flights,” he said at the time.
Due to the staff shortage, a maximum of 50,000 people a day flew from the airport for a long time. That would be the end of March 26.
300 to 500 people missing
Schiphol speaks of a stalemate. “Airlines do not want to pay more than is stipulated in multi-year contracts. Transport companies are not willing to pay more because the margins in this area are so tight,” writes FD.
Due to low wages and poor working conditions, there is a structural shortage of 300 to 500 employees. There is also a fear that employees will leave their jobs in the coming months. “The employment conditions package for these people is not attractive enough,” Sondağ said. “A security guard in Schiphol currently earns 17 euros an hour, and a guard only 12 euros. This difference is huge.”
Source: NOS
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
