Schiphol to permanently employ some of its flex workers

Schiphol is going to turn around 75 Passenger Assistant positions - part of Passenger Operations - into permanent positions. These are currently filled by temporary agency workers. The reason why Schiphol is doing this is that the airport is taking a more critical look at whether the work being done by flex workers can actually be classified under permanent employment. Management has also made this pledge to the trade unions. Parallel to the permanent employment of 75 Passenger Assistants, Schiphol will be putting a new temporary agency worker contract out to tender. This is due to the fact that the current agency contract is expiring and that some flex work will remain important at the airport. 

At Schiphol, permanent members of staff work together with flex workers with an employment agency contract to ensure that travellers have a good journey every day. The contribution that flex workers make is very important for the airport - they are there when needed. The availability of work opportunities and the flexible deployment of these employees greatly depends on the ups and downs in air traffic and on seasonality. However, some structural activities can actually be classified as permanent. Schiphol wants permanent employees to carry out that structural work as much as possible. 

From flex to permanent work in phases  

The number of travellers has significantly decreased as a result of the COVID-19 pandamic. Schiphol doesn’t expect to be back at the same level as 2019 until 2024, and the way in which aviation will recover is not entirely predictable. Opportunities for employment rise and fall together with changing passenger volumes. Keeping this uncertainty in mind, Schiphol is starting to employ flex workers who carry out structural activities. This will happen in phases, so that business operations are in line with recovery. In the first phase, Schiphol will be focusing on the recruitment and employment of Passenger Assistants. The aim is to have around 75 Passenger Assistants by March 2022. 

New contract for temporary agency workers put out to tender  

Alongside the endeavour to have structural activities carried out by permanent employees whenever possible, the deployment of qualified flex workers will still be needed in the future. After all, Schiphol's business operations will always involve ups and downs in passenger and baggage volumes. In addition, many maintenance and construction projects are carried out on the Schiphol site, resulting in a daily changing workload for several departments. Because the current agency contracts are expiring, a contract for temporary workers is being put out to tender parallel to the employment of Schiphol staff. By mid 2022, Schiphol also aims to have a new temporary workers contract for staff working for the airport on a flexible basis.