•The workers' lobby has issued a strike notice in protest against KAA over failure to conclude and implement a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
•Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) secretary-general Moss Ndiema told the employees to down their tools effective Tuesday.
The prolonged salary dispute between Kenya Airport Authority and Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) continues to disrupt operations in several airports.
The workers' lobby has issued a strike notice in protest against KAA over failure to conclude and implement a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) secretary-general Moss Ndiema told the employees to down their tools effective Tuesday.
Kawu and the Authority have had a long standing standoff regarding payment, resulting in multiple disruptions in aviation operations in major airlines including Kenya Airways.
The union wanted to be awarded a basic salary increment of 13 per cent for the duration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (2016-2019) in addition to annual raise.
This was contained in a deal whose implementation has been delayed partly due to Covid-19 disruptions.
Because of the delay, the union had asked members to down their tools, a development that prompted the aviation authority to seek the court’s intervention.
Two weeks ago, a high court judge gave KAA 10 days to conclude negotiations on reduced pay increases with airport workers or the latter would proceed to strike.
Lady Justice Monica Mbaru, in her order said that should KAA refuse to comply with the new court directive then Kawu will be free to commence an industrial action that will exclude 55 union officials spread across KAA offices countrywide.
“That the claimant has the next 10 calendar days to conclude the CBA with the respondent and serve the minister and a copy to the court,” Mbaru said.
“Where the claimant is unable, unwilling or refuses to comply or address, the respondent shall be at liberty to commence industrial action and only have the 55 union officials present.”
In a statement to its stakeholders on Tuesday, KAA said it had appealed the orders from the court, assuring travelers of normal operations.
However, an inquiry by the Star shows several union-affiliated workers were on a go slow following the call for industrial action.
KAA board had proposed to increase unionisable workers’ salaries by six per cent yearly from 2016 to 2019 translating to a total cost of Sh231.3million. The move was aimed at preserving cash at the cash-strapped authority.
Early this year KAA managing director Alex Gitari said a decision by the National Treasury to mop up Sh12.5 billion surplus cash from its coffers in 2019 left it broke and unable to settle supplier debt.
In a November 11, 2019 directive by Treasury CS Ukur Yatani ordered State agencies to surrender surplus cash as the government raced to clear a backlog of pending bills.
The airport Authority reached out to the exchequer for a bailout to help meet pressing needs, including clearance of pending bills that continue to attract interest as high as Sh12 million monthly.