After a tense standoff that left hundreds of passengers stranded at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), striking workers have accepted a deal to return to their posts following a day-long protest. However, while operations resume, the dispute over the government’s plan to lease the airport to India’s Adani Group remains unresolved.
The airport workers, who downed their tools on Wednesday, have not backed down from their opposition to the proposed 30-year takeover by Adani. During the negotiations, facilitated by the Ministry of Transport and union leaders, an agreement was reached for the workers to resume duties.
The strike, which disrupted flights across the country, forced a response from both the government and union leaders. What followed was a day-long negotiation that resulted in a temporary return to work.
Why it matters: The proposal seeks to make major upgrades on JKIA, but there has been opposition to the proposal that has been surrounded by a lack of transparency and clarity. Resolving the strike is crucial to reopening the airport while opening a door for dialogue on the matter.
Digg deeper: Despite the resumed services, the workers, represented by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), made it clear that the strike was merely a symptom of a broader disagreement over the management of Kenya's largest airport.
At the heart of the conflict is the government's push to lease JKIA to the Adani Group, a proposal that has sparked significant backlash. Workers, fearing for their job security and the future of the airport, downed their tools, prompting a severe disruption of airport operations. Local flights from Mombasa and Kisumu were significantly delayed, and police officers were left to manage security at check-in points as stranded passengers anxiously awaited updates.
The agreement reached between the Ministry of Transport and union leaders, while allowing operations to resume, has not quelled the discontent among workers. The workers have been granted veto powers, effectively giving them the ability to halt the deal at any point if their concerns are not addressed. This is no small concession, as the workers now wield significant influence over the final outcome of the lease proposal.
Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli, who played a key role in the negotiations, announced that while the workers had returned to their posts, the government had yet to convince them that the Adani deal was in their best interests. According to Atwoli, a series of meetings is scheduled to take place over the next 10 days to review the specifics of the deal.
“Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) shall not enter into any final agreement without consensus from the Kenya Aviation Workers Union,” Atwoli declared, emphasising the union’s continued opposition to the proposed takeover.
Moss Ndiema, Secretary General of KAWU, reinforced this position. “We are not endorsing the Adani deal,” Ndiema stated firmly. “This return to work is conditional, and we have been given the power to veto the agreement at any point if it does not align with the workers’ interests.”
What next: This cautious return to normalcy is accompanied by mounting pressure on the government to reveal the full terms of the deal. Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir assured workers and the public that all relevant documents related to the deal would be submitted to the courts for transparency. He stressed that the government’s intention was to improve JKIA’s infrastructure, which is currently struggling to meet capacity demands, and that private investment is a necessary step forward.
However, the workers and their union remain sceptical. The concessions made during negotiations, including the inclusion of worker representatives in all future discussions, signal that the workers will not stand down easily. The battle over the future of JKIA is far from over, and the government faces a tough task in convincing not only the workers but also the broader Kenyan public that the Adani deal is the right move.
JKIA needs substantial upgrades to handle the growing number of passengers, and private sector investment is seen as the solution. However, the workers argue that handing over control to a foreign entity could compromise job security and the integrity of the airport’s operations. This impasse has now evolved into a broader conversation about the future of public infrastructure in Kenya.
As the 10-day review period begins, all eyes are on the outcome of the next round of negotiations. The government’s promise to involve all stakeholders in the discussions is a positive step, but it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to address the deep-rooted concerns of the workers.
