Schiphol has warned travellers of long queues and crowds at the baggage hall exit on Tuesday because customs officers will hold a protest at the airport. Officers will carry out extra checks on arriving passengers between 12:00 and 13:30, after they have collected their hold baggage.
The airport states that the action will take place in baggage halls 3 and 4, where all incoming passengers will be screened. Normally, passengers with nothing to declare can walk straight through. Customs officers say they are taking action to demand higher pay for civil servants. When announcing the protest, unions stressed that the demonstration is directed at the central government, not at Schiphol.
“We understand that this is inconvenient for travellers who have just come off a flight,” Schiphol said. “We are facilitating the right to demonstrate, while ensuring that everything proceeds safely and orderly. All of Schiphol’s efforts are focused on this.”
The caretaker government wants to continue the zero‑wage policy as a cost‑cutting measure. Under the previous collective labour agreement, which ran from July 1, 2024, to the end of 2025, civil servants received an 8.5 per cent pay rise and an additional €50 per month. They also received a one‑off payment to help offset inflation. Unions argue that customs officers’ purchasing power will fall without a wage increase and inflation adjustment.
Other sectors have also taken action in recent weeks over the lack of pay rises. In January, staff at the women’s prison in Nieuwersluis held a one‑hour strike, while staff at De Schie prison in Rotterdam went on strike for two hours. Last week, employees at the Rotterdam Detention Centre stopped work for two and a half hours.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
