The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) has issued a fresh threat to go ahead with a seven-day strike , accusing the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) of failing to honour a return-to-work agreement signed on February 17.
KAWU Secretary General Moses Ndiema in a video seen by APA on Wednesday said the agreement guaranteed unionization for workers in grades four and five and was to be respected alongside court directives.
“The return-to-work formula is a foundational document upon which subsequent negotiations are based. KCAA does not seem ready to recognize the rule of law like any other corporate body in the country,” Ndiema said.
He warned travelers to plan their itineraries carefully, noting that any disruptions arising from the industrial action would not be the union’s responsibility.
On February 17, operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other aerodromes resumed after KAWU, KCAA and the government agreed on a return-to-work formula outlining measures to address workers’ concerns.
The agreement followed an urgent conciliatory meeting convened by Roads and Transport CS Davies Chirchir and Aviation Principal Secretary Terry Mbaika.
The meeting brought together officials from KCAA, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), the State Department of Labour and union leaders.
Under the deal, all parties agreed to an immediate return to duty, restoring normal operations at JKIA and other facilities that had experienced disruptions during the industrial action.
A key component of the agreement was the review of staff representation and job grading within KCAA.
The parties resolved that the level of representation of affected employees would be reassessed to consider grades that had previously been proposed and agreed upon but were not implemented.
MG/as/APA
