Kenya’s aviation workers have called off their nationwide strike that disrupted flight operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other airports for two days, following an agreement with the Government to address their grievances. The workers’ union and the Government reached a deal on Tuesday, paving the way for employees to resume duty and begin the process of restoring normal operations at the country’s main international gateway.
Hundreds of passengers had been stranded at JKIA since Sunday after the go-slow strike disrupted flight departures and arrivals, with airlines forced to delay and adjust their schedules. Speaking after the agreement, union head Moses Ndiema announced that the strike had been called off and appealed to workers to immediately begin restoring services. “We are simply calling off our strike action and pleading with our members to begin the process of normalising operations, restoring services,” Ndiema said.“For those who are on duty, we are asking them to begin clearing flights.”
Operations to resume
According to the union, workers on the night shift are expected to resume operations on Tuesday evening, while employees working regular office hours will report back from 8:00am on Wednesday. The agreement provides for further negotiations between the union and the Government on the outstanding issues, including the workers’ collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Ndiema said the key next step would be the commencement of collective bargaining with the Government, with discussions expected to begin within the next one or two days. Workers are also expected to receive a conclusion on the negotiations and move towards implementation of the agreed measures within a month. The strike had been triggered by demands for improved working conditions and implementation of previously agreed commitments, including issues around remuneration.
Government acknowledges economic cost
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir confirmed that the Government and the union had agreed on a way forward to address the grievances that resulted in the strike.
“It’s unfortunate that we had to get here but we are out of it,” Chirchir said, acknowledging the significant economic cost of the disruption. He said the full impact on the economy had yet to be quantified but was expected to be substantial. “It’s unfortunate because the loss to the economy, which we don’t yet have the numbers, is huge,” he said.
The disruption affected passengers, airlines and businesses, while also raising concerns within Kenya’s fresh produce export sector, which relies heavily on JKIA for the movement of flowers, fruits and vegetables to international markets. The Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPC) had earlier warned that prolonged delays could result in missed connections, cancelled orders, produce deterioration, lost cargo capacity and financial losses for farmers and exporters.
With the strike now called off, aviation workers are expected to begin clearing the backlog of flights and restoring normal operations. However, the effectiveness of the agreement will depend on how quickly the outstanding issues are resolved and the agreed commitments implemented. The resumption of operations offers relief to passengers and businesses affected by the two-day disruption, while exporters will be watching closely to ensure cargo movements return to normal and Kenya’s international supply chains are restored.
