Kenya Aviation Workers Union Secretary General Moss Ndiema said members downed their tools at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the Kenya Airports Authority and Jambojet, and would not resume until the union’s grievances against all three are settled.
The action follows the collapse of a framework agreement signed on July 27, when Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir convened the union and the four employers named in an earlier strike notice and set a timetable for each organisation to negotiate directly with KAWU.
That deal suspended a walkout due to hit KCAA, KAA, Kenya Airways and Jambojet, and committed the parties to resolving the disputes over 30 days.
Ndiema said the union issued a fresh strike notice on Friday after one of the employers declined to engage on the outstanding issues.
At KCAA, the union is contesting advice from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission that the authority would not consider backdated pay awards running to 2015.
Ndiema said KCAA staff have gone without a salary increment since that year and that refusing to settle the arrears falls short of what labour law requires.
The union’s complaint against KAA is directed at Managing Director Moses Wekesa, whom Ndiema accused of frustrating members, withholding money belonging to the union and refusing to meet union representatives.
He demanded that Wekesa be removed from the authority. Ndiema also questioned the deployment of National Youth Service personnel at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, without saying what roles they had been assigned.
At Jambojet, the dispute turns on recognition. Ndiema said the airline has created a hostile environment for staff, has refused to onboard newly recruited members and is moving to penalise employees who have taken up union roles.
The union has said previously that Jambojet declined to sign a recognition agreement despite KAWU signing up a majority of unionisable staff, a matter that has been before the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
Ndiema set out the union’s terms plainly, saying members will not return to work until Jambojet recognises the union and until agreements are reached with the SRC, with Wekesa and with the airline.
The Kenya Airports Authority issued an advisory from Nairobi on Sunday, telling passengers and other airport users that “some departing flights are currently experiencing delays at our airports.”
The authority said it was working with aviation agencies, airlines and other stakeholders to manage the situation and keep operations moving, and urged travellers to confirm flight status with their airlines before setting out.
It apologised for the inconvenience and thanked passengers for their patience as the situation is handled.
The advisory did not link the delays to the strike
