Cargo employees at Schiphol are very concerned about their safety and consider the work at the airport dangerous and unhealthy. Research by trade union FNV shows that 1 in 10 employees has been involved in an accident at Schiphol in the past year, resulting in injury or mental damage. In addition, the staff raise the alarm about the health risks and safety in air cargo handling.
The trade union states that working at Schiphol’s cargo handling is dangerous due to the high risk of falls, collisions, getting trapped and accidents involving harmful substances. According to FNV, the employees are exposed to unhealthy working conditions, including high work pressure, unhealthy working hours, breathing in dust and exhaust fumes and pushing, lifting and pulling heavy objects.
In addition to health complaints and burnouts, staff complain about the safety culture. A large proportion of employees say that the rules for safe and healthy working are not observed, and that managers do nothing with the criticism.
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FNV believes that the working conditions of cargo employees have wrongly been underexposed and has therefore taken concerned staff to the Schiphol management to seek redress.
The results of the survey, in which 229 employees participated, were handed over this afternoon to Schiphol’s cargo boss, Joost van Doesburg. The staff demands better working conditions, higher wages, more staff and an end to flexible contracts.
Rattling at the gates of Schiphol
The handover to Van Doesburg is salient, because the cargo director was at the helm of the aviation department of the trade union FNV for many years. As campaign manager for FNV Schiphol, Van Doesburg himself stood at the gates of the airport countless times to demand improvements for thousands of apron employees, cleaners and security guards. In March he transferred from FNV to the Schiphol Group Management Board.