NAIROBI, Sept. 1 — Aviation workers under the Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union (KAWU) called off their strike on Tuesday after signing a return-to-work agreement with the government. Under the terms of the agreement reached with the Ministry of Roads and Transport, employees committed to resuming normal duties immediately upon its implementation.
The resolution restores normal operations at Kenyan airports, which had been severely disrupted since Sunday when workers downed tools in protest against the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), and Jambojet, a regional airline.
Under the agreement, KAWU and KCAA will immediately proceed with negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement, with KCAA management committing to honor and implement the finalized terms. According to the agreement, any salary adjustments will follow the guidelines issued by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, KAWU’s push for a recognition agreement with Jambojet remains pending a court determination. “In consideration of the foregoing agreements and commitments, KAWU calls off the industrial action and advises all its affected members to resume normal duties immediately upon execution of this Return-to-Work Agreement,” the parties said in a joint statement.
KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema confirmed that the strike had been called off with immediate effect. “We have effectively called off the strike and urge our members to resume duties immediately. We hope to start talks on the outstanding issues in two or three days,” he said.
Davis Chirchir, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Roads and Transport, said the upcoming negotiations would be guided by parameters set by the SRC. “We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the strike and wish to assure the workers that we are committed to resolving their issues,” Chirchir said.
As part of the settlement, KAA agreed to immediately remit all previously withheld agency fees owed to KAWU. The agreement further provided that no employee would be victimized, intimidated, discriminated against, or subjected to disciplinary action for participating in the industrial action.
The strike, which began on Sunday, had paralyzed operations at major Kenyan airports, including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Moi International Airport, Eldoret International Airport, and Kisumu International Airport. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
