WP RR 17 - Industrial relations in the transport sector in the Netherlands



The wildcat strike in 2002 costed the company more than its quarterly profit (i.e. more
than 15 million euro).

In the light of Dutch industrial relations KLM responded exceptionally tough on the
labour conflict. Disciplinary sanctions were taken against workers who had been on strike
and no wage was paid for the hours lost. KLM also held those on strike personally
responsible for the profits lost by imposing a ('partly symbolic', HFD, 31-7-2002) fine
(claim) of 2000 euro (which has also never happened before). Also remarkably in the
light of the Dutch tradition of industrial conflict, both parties (KLM as well as NVLT)
threathened to start, or actually started, legal procedures (
kort geding) against one
another. KLM won a legal procedure to end the wildcat strike, and threathened workers
who refused to pay the fine that they would enforce their demand by a legal procedure, in
which case the fine would even be raised up to 6000 euro (HFD, 6-9-2002). Eventually,
KLM chose to enter into a so-called 'test case trial' against four ground machine
technicians, which is to demonstrate whether it is indeed possible to hold workers
individually responsible. These test case trials usually last more than a year, so that some
labour peace could be regained (HFD, 20-9-2002), even though NVLT does not agree
with this process.

The 2002 collective bargaining round resulted in an agreement in November 2002. Part
of the request for a wage increase of the ground machine technicians was granted in the
form of an extra wage increase (of 5% maximum for those who had gained extra
qualifications in their own time. Also, the organisation of work of ground machine
technicians and the relation between management and workers will be subject of study,
with the aim of assessing the need for reorganisation (HFD, 27-11-2002).

35



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