Employees at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other airports in the nation threaten to lay down their tools over what they say are long-standing grievances which have been neglected for far too long.
In a press release issued on Monday, Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) said it would begin a nationwide strike, declaring it was exasperated by the government’s failure to act in regards to serious matters affecting hundreds of airport staff most of whom have been languishing for years.
At the center of the dispute is the fate of over 500 contract workers who, after several decades of labor and service, are stuck in permanent contracts that are not pensionable and do not guarantee their jobs.
KAWU reports that several appeals to have these workers confirmed to permanent and pensionable terms have been ignored.
We have made systematic efforts and approached the management to confirm these employees, but to no avail,” asserted the union in its release filled with desperation and urgency.
But there’s more to the problems. The union further complains that the government is not making official promotions.
A considerable number of employees who have transferred departments or taken new jobs have supposedly been performing their duties without getting the official letters confirming their appointments and the associated benefits.
At Wilson Airport, conditions are especially dire. KAWU states that employees there have not been paid overtime for over six months, putting in overtime hours to keep operations running steadily.
“Our pleas have been in vain. There has been no apology for this withholding of what these workers deserved,” the union indicated.
Staff members are also raising alarm over a scheduled realignment of Ground Flight Safety (GFS) functions to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) an action which they claim would lead to massive job losses and seriously undermine the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).
It is not about employment. It is livelihoods, families that depend on those incomes. Moving GFS jobs will not just displace employees but also deny KAA huge amounts of revenue, crippling the institution financially,” warned the union.
At what appears in retrospect to have been a turning point, the union announced it is preparing to order a lawful industrial action, calling on all members across the country to mobilize in readiness for a strike.
“We’ve been patient. We’ve followed the channels. Now, we’re left with no choice,” KAWU said. “A formal strike notice will be issued soon.”
If the strike goes ahead, travelers can expect major delays and potential flight cancellations, particularly at JKIA East Africa’s busiest airport.
The story of delayed payments and broken promises in Kenya’s airports is only part of it. It’s the story of real people check-in clerks, air traffic assistants, baggage handlers who keep the aviation sector going on a day-to-day basis.
To them, this strike is not all about titles and agreements. It’s about dignity, equity, and being heard.
And if their voices are never heard, the effects will begin to be felt sooner or later not only behind the scenes, but by all passengers trying to board a flight.
