Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded at Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after aviation workers began industrial action over poor working conditions and unresolved labour disputes.
The strike, which has disrupted airport operations and caused delays to departing flights, followed a breakdown in negotiations between the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) and aviation authorities over several outstanding issues affecting workers.
Among the grievances are the failure to conclude a collective bargaining agreement with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), as well as what the union described as a lack of cooperation from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Jambojet, a subsidiary of Kenya Airways.
The workers’ action has raised concerns over possible further disruptions to flight operations as passengers arriving at or departing from JKIA contend with delays and uncertainty over their travel plans.
Reacting to the strike on Monday, the KAWU Secretary-General, Moss Ndiema, stated that the union had held discussions with government officials in an attempt to resolve the issues behind the strike, but the meeting failed to produce an agreement.
Ndiema said the negotiations would continue, but stressed that the industrial action would remain in effect until the outstanding grievances were addressed.
“We have agreed to proceed with the engagements tomorrow, as from 11 o’clock in the morning. In the meantime, the strike action is still on,” he said.
The union’s decision to continue with the strike means airport operations could remain affected as negotiations between the workers and government representatives resume.
