Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is set to face severe disruptions from Tuesday, February 17, as the Kenya Airport Workers Union (KAWU) moves ahead with plans for industrial action.
The announcement comes after union negotiations with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority failed to yield results within a seven-day deadline that ends Monday.
Speaking on Saturday, February 14, KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema said all union members at the region’s main aviation hub would be mobilised for the strike.
“Industrial action is 99 per cent as we speak, and we are not asking for impossible things; we are not asking for wealth or richness. For an employee whose pay has not been reviewed for the past 12 or 15 years, how do you expect them to live?” Ndiema said.
The union is pushing for critical reforms, including the proper execution of Collective Bargaining Agreements, review of long-standing salaries, and the inclusion of contract staff in pensionable employment terms.
Ndiema warned that if management does not recognise grades four and five employees as eligible for union representation and finalise a CBA within a week after Monday, a strike timetable will be set.
“We are determined to deliver a CBA in one week if management accepts that those grades are unionisable. But if they continue to place barriers in our way, we are prepared to act,” Ndiema added.
The dispute involves workers across multiple aviation entities, such as Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, and national carrier Kenya Airways. Union officials contend that employers have failed to comply with court directives on contract conversions and union recognition.
A central issue is a court order requiring employers to transition long-serving contractual staff to permanent and pensionable positions by December 31, 2025. Ndiema criticised management for appealing or delaying the process despite prior agreement both in court and at the Ministry of Labour.
“These are court orders. They must be obeyed. You cannot agree in court and later disown the agreement,” he said.
At least 70 employees are reportedly due for permanent employment under the court ruling. While discussions with management continue, the union has indicated that preparations for the strike are advancing rapidly.
“So to anybody and everybody who cares, we are going to have a tumultuous week. I just want to ask you to prepare; it could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be the day after, it could have been yesterday, maybe, just prepare,” Ndiema warned.
