Nairobi

1 February 2019

Nairobi airport on shutdown alert

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) says members will go on strike in the next week over the possible takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi by Kenya Airways, claiming it will render them jobless. 

The possible industrial action, according to Kawu will include ground staff at JKIA who are expected to boycott duties starting next Tuesday (February 5), reports Daily Nation.

In a letter dated January 29, Kawu Secretary-General, Moses Ndiema wrote to members, Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) management, Labour Cabinet Secretary, Ukur Yatani and Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary-General, Francis Atwoli: “We are issuing a seven-day strike notice to all stakeholders from date herein and we are saying that if Jonny Andersen (CEO) will not be out of KAA in the next seven days, we will ground operations at JKIA.”

The letter further reads: “There is no need to kill KAA to save Kenya Airways, which is simply suffering from management problems.”

Kenya Airways has proposed the formation of a subsidiary dedicated to managing the operations at JKIA for a period of 30 years, reports Daily Nation.