Travellers are expected to face delays on Wednesday night as KLM baggage handlers at Schiphol airport are poised to go on strike. Strike action will take place between 7.30pm and 9pm and dozens of flights will be affected.

Other ground services, such as towing planes to the runway, will be suspended as well, trade union FNV announced.

KLM is fighting the decision in court this afternoon.

KLM ground crew want a 1% pay rise, more fixed contracts for temporary workers and no cutbacks to holidays and the number of so-called ‘senior days’ for people over 50.

Negotiations between KLM and FNV ground to a halt last week on with KLM’s refusal to undo measures to cut back on ground personnel costs.

Trains

The action comes on top of an already beleaguered Schiphol. Extra controls in reaction to an unspecified terrorist threat are causing long tailbacks on the roads surrounding the airport.

At the weekend track operator ProRail started a nine day maintenance programme which means trains will not be running between the airport and Duivendrecht/Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena and Sloterdijk. Replacement buses have also been caught up in the tailbacks.

July and August are Schiphol’s busiest times. Some 137,000 travellers a day will use the airport during these two months.