A service disruption is looming at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other airports across the country, as aviation workers have announced a strike.
In a statement released on Monday September 22, the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) declared that they would begin striking in response to the government's failure to address their concerns.
Among the grievances raised by the union are the government's failure to confirm the airport employees who are currently on contract to permanent and pensionable terms.
According to KAWU, despite persistent calls for the confirmation of employees to a permanent basis, there were still over 500 employees who were serving on fixed-term contracts.
"We have relentlessly engaged and pleaded with Management to confirm these employees to permanent and pensionable terms, but to no avail," KAWU lamented.
In their notice, the aviation workers' union also accused the government of failure to issue substantive appointments to promoted employees.
The union argued that many employees changed departments, were promoted to various positions and were supposed to be issued letters substantively appointing them to these positions, but to date, no letters have been given.
KAWU also expressed reservations with the failure to pay overtime to Wilson Airport staff, claiming that for over 6 months, employees working at the airport had not been paid their overtime for work lawfully done.
"Our pleas to Management to pay them have fallen on deaf ears, and there has been no formal explanation from Management as to why they are denying the employees the fruits of their hard-earned sweat," the union stated.
While announcing the industrial action, the union workers also protested the planned transfer of the roles performed by the Ground Flight Safety department to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
KAWU noted that the transfer of GFS functions to KCAA would result not only in the loss of jobs for all employees currently working at GFS but also in starving the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) of huge amounts of revenue, leading to financial instability.
"In view of the foregoing, the Union has decided to call for a lawful industrial action with a view to compelling Management and the Board to address and resolve the above issues immediately," KAWU declared.
Adding: "We shall issue a formal strike notice in due course. Meanwhile, we request all members to mobilise massively to make the strike effective and successful."
