Nairobi, Kenya – At Kenya’s airports, the return to normal operations came almost as quickly as the disruption had spread. After two days of delays, cancellations and stranded passengers, aviation workers were told to return to their stations on September 1 after government officials, union leaders and aviation executives reached a return-to-work agreement following negotiations that continued through the night. The talks concluded in the early hours of Tuesday.
The deal ended the strike. It did not end the dispute. The grievances behind the walkout had accumulated over years, including disputes over collective bargaining agreements, salary negotiations, agency fees, union recognition and claims of victimisation.
Several of the issues that triggered the strike are now back on the negotiating table. The latest strike followed a series of agreements that failed to resolve the underlying disputes. The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) had already reached a return-to-work agreement with the government and aviation agencies in February.
By July, another agreement had been reached to suspend a planned strike and allow negotiations to continue. That arrangement involved the Ministry of Roads and Transport, Kenya Airways, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the low-cost airline, Jambojet. But the underlying disagreements remained.
In August, the union returned to industrial action, arguing that key commitments had not been sufficiently addressed. Among the issues were collective bargaining, salary-related matters, agency fees and a recognition dispute involving Jambojet. The two-day strike, which began on August 30, disrupted operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the capital Nairobi, Moi International Airport, Kisumu International Airport and Eldoret International Airport.
For travellers, the dispute meant missed flights, cancelled journeys and long waits for information. Airlines were left dealing with a backlog even after the strike was called off. Principal Secretary for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Teresia Mbaika, was among the senior officials involved in the negotiations.
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