The Dutch Government decided on Saturday to freeze a 3.4-billion-euro loan package meant to help the KLM airline to confront the crisis caused by the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
The decision came after unions refused to sign a five-year agreement with the airline management.
"We cannot move forward with the loan now,” Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra told journalists. “It’s disappointing, but it’s a fact.”
Earlier, KLM unions refused to sign the agreement, denouncing “last-minute” changes on the issue of salary cuts.
Hoekstra had given KLM’s management and unions until 11.00 GMT on Saturday to conclude the agreement, which was meant to unlock the aid to the Dutch branch of Air France-KLM.
The Brussels Times
