A crisis meeting between the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union (KAWU) on Thursday ended without agreement, setting the stage for a possible nationwide airport strike.
KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema told journalists at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) that the negotiations failed to address the workers’ grievances despite a seven-day strike notice issued earlier.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to resolve any issue, not even one,” Ndiema said. He added that of the seven demands tabled by the union, only one showed any movement a planned meeting in Naivasha to deliberate on human resource instruments. According to Ndiema, management offered to suspend the session for further consultations.
At the centre of the dispute is the dismissal of a human resource manager, which the union insists was unjust. Ndiema said the management maintained the decision was made by the board, but the union considers reinstatement of the official a non-negotiable demand.
The union also accused the KAA board of failing to improve operations at JKIA, claiming the airport “is in a very poor condition today.” Ndiema warned that vacancies in senior management were undermining service delivery and said accountability must be enforced.
“If we are not able to resolve these issues between now and Monday, when our seven-day strike notice expires, we promise them it will not end with the board still in office,” he cautioned.
The union signaled that any industrial action would extend beyond JKIA to airports nationwide. Ndiema stressed that responsibility for the disruption would lie squarely with the KAA board and management.
“We will be commencing this strike with a heavy heart,” he said. “It is not our wish, but it is the only recourse available to us.”
