This week¡¯s planned strike by KLM¡¯s ground staff has been cancelled after the airline and two unions agreed to resume talks in a bid to settle the dispute over collective bargaining.

Members of the FNV and CNV unions had been due to hold their latest strike on Wednesday (1 October). Workers have already taken industrial action on the three previous Wednesdays, which caused KLM to cancel hundreds of flights.

In a statement, KLM said there had been an agreement with the unions to press ¡°the pause button¡± on the strikes in a bid to end the current deadlock between the parties.

¡°Under the guidance of an independent mediator - yet to be appointed - KLM, FNV and CNV will resume discussions to explore potential solutions. The parties have given themselves until 1 November to reach progress,¡± added the airline.

¡°The three other unions representing ground staff, with whom a preliminary agreement was previously reached, will be involved in the next phase of talks.¡±

In a separate development, KLM¡¯s sister airline Air France and US joint venture partner Delta have told the Dutch airline that they will be seeking an ¡°alternative ground handling partner¡± to KLM at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

¡°This process involves inviting proposals from other service providers, after which a final selection will be made to determine who will assume responsibility for these activities going forward,¡± added KLM.

¡°This decision has immediate operational implications for KLM, particularly for the ground services department.?The financial and employment-related consequences of this decision are currently being assessed.¡±