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A nationwide airport workers’ strike has been temporarily suspended for 48 hours following a court directive mandating conciliation talks between the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU). This move comes amid a growing labour dispute that threatens to disrupt operations at key airports across the country, including the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
On Monday, the court instructed both parties—the KAA management and KAWU representatives—to appear before the Ministry of Labour on Tuesday morning for urgent negotiations aimed at resolving a series of grievances raised by the union. The outcome of these talks must be documented and submitted to the court by Wednesday, October 1. A follow-up court session has been scheduled for Thursday to assess the progress and determine next steps.
Speaking to the media, KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema confirmed that the union had issued a formal seven-day strike notice after previous engagements with KAA failed to yield any tangible results. He expressed frustration at the lack of progress, stating, “Unfortunately, we have not been able to resolve any issue, not even one.”
At the heart of the dispute are seven key demands, described by the union as “irreducible minimums.” These include:
- The conclusion and implementation of pending Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
- Immediate confirmation of long-serving contract workers to permanent and pensionable status.
- Opposition to the transfer of Ground Flight Safety operations from KAA to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), which KAWU argues could undermine job security and operational integrity.
- Protest against the dismissal of a senior Human Resource Manager by the KAA board, a move the union views as politically motivated.
- Concerns over the abrupt suspension of a planned KAA board meeting in Naivasha that was expected to address pressing human resource matters.
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Despite the escalating tensions, airport operations are set to continue without disruption for the next two days, pending the outcome of the court-mandated conciliation process. However, should the talks fail to reach a satisfactory resolution, the union has made it clear that industrial action will proceed—potentially bringing air travel and logistics services at all KAA-managed airports to a standstill.
The impending strike, if carried out, could have far-reaching consequences on domestic and international travel, cargo handling, and overall airport operations across Kenya.