Kenya Averts Aviation Crisis Amid Looming Aviation Workers’ Strike

Kenya was spared an aviation crisis after the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) appealed a decision by the Labour Court allowing workers to go on strike.

Majority of the members of the Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) delayed the call to down their tools to protest reduced pay increases dealing a major blow to the union’s demand for better salaries from KAA.

The union wanted to be awarded a basic salary increment of 13 percent for the duration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement of 2016-2019 in addition to an annual raise.

KAA board proposed both to increase workers’ salaries by four percent yearly and to give Kawu workers a house allowance arrears for 2016 and 2017 from staff in grade S2, S3 and S4 aimed at preserving money at the cash strapped authority.

The strike was called by Kawu after Lady Justice Monica Mbaru gave the authority 10 days to conclude negotiations on reduced pay increases with airport workers or they had the right to proceed with the strike.

The judge issued the orders directing KAA to conclude talks over pay with Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) and serve the Labour Minister Simon Chelugui and the court.

“Should KAA refuse to comply with the new court directive, then Kawu will be free to start an industrial action that will exclude 55 union officials spread across KAA offices countrywide,” said in the judge’s orders.

The developments barely come a few months after Alex Gitari, KAA Managing Director said a decision by the Treasury to clear up Ksh12.5 billion surplus cash from its coffers in 2019 left the authority broke and unable to settle supplier debt.