Customs Protest Causes Delays at Schiphol Airport
On February 10, Dutch customs officials at Schiphol Airport conducted a pay protest by meticulously checking all arriving passengers until 1:30 p.m. The industrial action, aimed at securing better compensation, led to significant delays for travelers.
- The "punctuality campaign" was a coordinated action by the FNV, CNV, and AC Rijksvakbonden unions, which also included similar slowdowns at the ports of Rotterdam and Vlissingen. - This protest is a direct response to the Dutch government's "nullijn" (zero line) policy, which freezes salaries for all civil servants in 2026, offering no adjustments for inflation. - The unions emphasized that their action was aimed at the national government, which they accuse of letting its own employees down, rather than at Schiphol or travelers. - The industrial action was specifically targeted at baggage reclaim halls 3 and 4, where officers meticulously checked all arriving passengers, including those with nothing to declare who would normally pass through without inspection. - This protest is part of a wider series of industrial actions by public sector workers in the Netherlands; recent weeks have seen work stoppages by staff at Dutch prisons and detention centers over the same pay freeze. - According to the FNV union, the government's pay policy is particularly galling because other services that secure Dutch borders, such as the police and the Marechaussee (military police), have received pay increases while customs workers have not.
