Air France-KLM. Agreement reached with Dutch pilots avoids strike in the Netherlands

The company's Dutch pilots reached a compromise with KLM management on Tuesday, allowing pilots to benefit earlier than expected from longer rest periods. Even if the agreement still needs to be approved by the grassroots, the union will not go on strike.

The Dutch KLM pilots' union announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement on a new collective labor agreement with Air France-KLM, putting an end to the threat of a strike in the Netherlands.

The French-Dutch group, hard hit by a wage dispute at Air France, chose Canadian Benjamin Smith as the new managing director following the resignation of Jean-Marc Janaillac in May from his position as CEO.

Compromise found at KLM

In the aftermath of this appointment, Dutch pilots had threatened the airline with a social movement later in the year if it did not recruit new employees to lighten their workload and allow them enough rest between two flights.

The Dutch union, with the help of a mediator, said it reached a compromise with KLM management, allowing pilots to benefit earlier than expected from longer rest periods.

The agreement still needs to be approved by the grassroots, but the union has said it is abandoning the preparations for a strike.

No agreement at Air France

Conversely, at Air France, no discussion has yet been proposed to the pilot unions, explains Philippe Evain, president of the National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL), largely in the majority.

"It is clear that elsewhere the negotiation and signing agreements are quite possible and weirdly it is not," he said.

The Air France union, which includes nine organizations including the SNPL, has planned to meet on Friday to decide on possible "actions" in order to obtain the 5.1% increase in wages at the origin of the 15 strike days this year.

"Air France-KLM's board of directors has not given Air France management a mandate to negotiate the wage claim of Air France's inter-union (+ 5.1%). being incompatible with the investment and growth strategy it has set for the company, " Air France-KLM reaffirms in a statement.