Operations at the usually busy Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) were brought to a standstill on Tuesday night and Wednesday after a section of JKIA workers downed their tools.
Many travelers were caught off-guard as it mixed up normal operations. The go-slow affected boarding and takeoff, sparking outrage on the ground and social media. The confused passengers were left stranded, and others were forced to cancel their trips.
The Issue
Rumours about a looming aviation workers strike began a few weeks before following a notice issued by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU). The notice was given on August 12th, and its main contents strongly opposed the proposed leasing of JKIA to the Indian conglomerate Adani Group for 30 years.
This follows collapsed talks between the workers union and Ruto’s government officials.
The KAWU Secretary General, Moss Ndiema, in issuing the notice, had raised several concerns:
These include:
- massive layoffs
- introduction of foreign workers
- deterioration of working conditions.
Their grievances were not limited to the Adani deal only. They demanded that the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Board of Directors and three senior managers be suspended. Incompetence and mishandling of the leasing agreement were cited as the reasons behind the demands.
A Turn Around to JKIA Strike
Yesterday, the airport workers announced an end to the strike. This is after reaching a deal with Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), Francis Atwoli, and Transport CS, Davis Chirchir.
This will be a relief to many passengers that were stranded for the better part of yesterday in Mombasa, Eldoret and Nairobi airports.
The government gave in and paved the way for the scrutiny of the controversial Adani deal. The government has been sued by Kenya Human Rights Commision (KHRC) & Law Society of Kenya (LSK) over the deal, and will be forced to table the deal documents in court.
There is a 10-day grace period to allow for the scrutiny of the documents.
A salary increment was also in the talks and a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was reached and will be enforced in two months.
Adani Group Behind JKIA Strike
The aviation workers union leader, Moss Ndiema, insisted that their turn around is not a sign of giving in to the Adani deal. According to Atwoli, the way forward will be reached after the 10-day period.
The strike effects were felt across the East Africa region as other passengers were equally stranded in Kigali and Entebbe airports. Ugandan Airlines flies into Nairobi twice, RwandAir flies in thrice and Ethopian Airlines flies in four times daily from JKIA.
The Deal Is Currently Suspended
The High Court which is handling the matter, shelved the deal until October 8. The hearing date of the matter, certified as urgent will be fixed on that day. Normal operations have resumed at the airports.
