Only for employees
Reorganization at KLM
Has KLM announced that your position is being eliminated, or have you received a dismissal proposal or departure arrangement?
Are you facing a reorganization at KLM? Unlike most employers, KLM does not work with a single collective agreement but with separate arrangements for ground staff, cabin crew and cockpit. What the cost savings mean for you, and what protection you have, therefore depends heavily on the group you work in. Before you sign, it is wise to have assessed which rules apply to you and whether the proposal is consistent with them.
Does this apply to you?
- Your position is being eliminated or restructured
- You have been declared redundant
- You have received a dismissal proposal or departure arrangement
- You work on the ground, in the cabin or in the cockpit
- You have received a settlement agreement
Why employees turn to ReorgLegal
ReorgLegal specialises in reorganizations and works solely for employees, never for employers. We assess your proposal and stand beside you.
Do not wait too long. Reorganizations often come with short response deadlines. Have any proposal assessed before you agree to it.
The situation at KLM
KLM wants to improve its financial and operational results structurally. To that end it is running the Back on Track cost-savings programme, which also has consequences for staff.
Mainly non-operational roles
At the end of 2024 KLM announced Back on Track, aimed at a significant improvement in its result. In its wake it became known that around 250 non-operational positions would disappear, mainly office roles. Flight crew and technical staff fell outside that first announcement.
KLM has said it wants to avoid forced redundancies as far as possible, but did not rule them out in advance. For you, what matters most is what the reorganization means for your position in practice.
Also positions eliminated outside the programme
The arrangements KLM and the trade unions have made apply not only to those affected by Back on Track, but also to colleagues whose positions are eliminated in 2025 or 2026 for other reasons.
The figures and arrangements around a reorganization can change. This page was last updated in July 2026; the facts shown apply as far as known at that time.
In short
- The Back on Track cost-savings programme
- Around 250 non-operational positions eliminated, mainly office roles
- Flight crew and technical staff fell outside the first announcement
- KLM wants to avoid forced redundancies but does not rule them out
- Separate collective agreements and unions for ground, cabin and cockpit
- Have your situation assessed before you sign
Which staff group, which rules?
At KLM your staff group largely determines your position. Each group has its own collective agreement, its own trade unions and its own way in which protection and selection are arranged.
Ground and office
For ground staff and office roles, from baggage and engineering to planning and support, the ground collective agreement applies. This is the group most affected in the current round. Selection for redundancy here runs via the reflection principle.
Cabin and cockpit
Cabin crew and cockpit staff each have their own collective agreement, in which, under the applicable collective agreement and schemes, your place on the seniority list plays an important role. No forced redundancies have been announced for these groups in the current round, but here too positions and terms can change.
Which arrangements apply to you exactly, and with which union they were made, therefore depends on your role. That makes it all the more important to have your own arrangement assessed rather than relying on what applies to another group.
Groups and unions
- Ground and office: own agreement, selection via reflection principle
- Cabin: own agreement, seniority weighs heavily
- Cockpit: own agreement, seniority weighs heavily
- Unions involved include FNV, CNV, De Unie, VNC and VNV
- Your protection depends on your group
How does a reorganization at KLM work?
At KLM such a process unfolds in phases, from identifying redundant positions to a possible departure. At each phase there are moments where you can have your position reviewed.
Which positions are eliminated and who is affected
KLM starts by establishing which positions disappear and which positions are mutually interchangeable. For ground staff, within those interchangeable positions the reflection principle applies in principle, subject to the statutory exceptions; the order is therefore not KLM's to choose freely. For cabin and cockpit, the seniority list from the applicable collective agreement may instead determine who is affected first.
Mediation and reassignment
KLM may not simply dismiss someone who is redundant: it must first examine whether there is a suitable position within a reasonable period, if necessary after retraining. KLM gives effect to that reassignment obligation through a mediation period aimed at other work within or outside the company. If no suitable position results, only then does departure come into view.
An offer or a procedure
If reassignment does not materialise, KLM often puts forward a departure through a settlement agreement, or otherwise asks the UWV for permission to dismiss. In both cases it pays to have the arrangement checked legally before you commit.
Moments where you can intervene
- As soon as the reorganization is announced: request your social plan and your status in writing
- As soon as you are redundant: have the reflection principle or your place on the seniority list recalculated
- During mediation: check whether an offered role genuinely suits you
- As soon as an arrangement is on the table: commit to nothing without a legal review
What does this mean for you?
A reorganization at KLM follows the statutory rules for economic redundancy, supplemented by the collective agreement and the social plan of your group. You have rights at each of these points.
Objective selection
KLM cannot designate the redundant employees at its own discretion. For ground staff the reflection principle applies in principle, subject to the statutory exceptions; for cabin and cockpit seniority is decisive. If that order is wrong, it can work in your favour.
Reassignment and mediation
Dismissal is only allowed after KLM has examined whether there is other suitable work for you within a reasonable period, if necessary after retraining; the mediation period can go further than the statutory reassignment obligation. If that examination has not been done seriously, a dismissal will not always hold up before the court or the UWV.
Your compensation
If your employment ends on KLM's initiative, there is usually an entitlement to at least the statutory transition payment, unless the social plan provides a different or additional arrangement. Whether the calculation matches your years of service and salary is worth checking.
The settlement agreement
If you leave by mutual consent, this is recorded in a settlement agreement. Have its content and consequences reviewed before you put your signature to it.
The social plan at KLM
KLM and the trade unions have made arrangements for employees affected by the reorganization. According to the unions, a new social plan will apply that replaces the earlier employment arrangements.
From employment arrangements to mediation and compensation
Where the emphasis used to be on employment arrangements, it now lies on an extensive mediation period and compensation for those who cannot be redeployed. The plan is intended for everyone affected by Back on Track or by positions being eliminated in 2025 or 2026.
Watch the precise terms
KLM and the trade unions have held discussions about the precise implementation of the social plan, including the calculation of the compensation. It is therefore wise to check which version and which terms apply to your situation, and whether the arrangement offered matches them.
Not sure what the social plan offers you? Have your situation assessed before you agree.
What to watch for
- Which social plan and collective agreement apply to your group
- The length and content of the mediation period
- The amount and the calculation of your compensation
- The end date and the final discharge in the agreement
- Whether reassignment within or outside KLM is at issue
What you can do now
If your position at KLM is affected, take the steps below before you bind yourself to anything. The sooner you know where you stand, the more options remain open.
- Request the social plan, your staff group's collective agreement and your proposal in writing
- Have it recalculated whether the reflection principle or your place on the seniority list is correct
- Weigh up whether an offered role genuinely suits you
- Check the calculation of your compensation and the other terms
- Do not sign a settlement agreement without having it reviewed
Have you received a dismissal proposal or settlement agreement from KLM? Send it to us for review before you make a final decision.
When can you best bring us in?
- There is a settlement agreement on the table
- Your position is disappearing or you have been declared redundant
- You have doubts about whether the departure arrangement works out well for you
- It is unclear to you which social plan belongs to your staff group
- You have only a few days left to respond
Frequently asked questions
These are questions that KLM employees put to us in practice.
Have you received a dismissal proposal or a settlement agreement? Send it to us for review.
I work on the ground. Am I more at risk than cabin or cockpit?
This reorganization round mainly affects the non-operational and office roles, and those fall under the ground collective agreement. The risk therefore differs per staff group. What it means for you depends on your role, the reflection principle and the social plan that applies to your group.
Will I receive compensation?
If your employment ends on KLM's initiative, there is usually an entitlement to at least the statutory transition payment. The social plan may in addition offer a different or supplementary arrangement. What you end up with depends on the arrangement that applies to your group and on your personal situation.
KLM says there will be no forced redundancies. Am I safe then?
The arrangements are intended to avoid forced redundancies as far as possible through mediation and reassignment, but that is not a hard guarantee. So have an offered arrangement checked, because it is precisely the terms that determine what you are entitled to.
What if I am declared redundant?
Redundancy is an interim step, not a final dismissal. An incorrect application of the reflection principle, a wrong place on the seniority list or an inadequate reassignment can strengthen your position.
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