Africa-Press – Kenya. Workers in the aviation sector in Kenya ended a two-day strike on Tuesday that disrupted flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and other airports across the country, after reaching an agreement with the government and aviation authorities to return to work and continue negotiations regarding outstanding labor demands.
Kenyan Transport Minister Davis Chirchir and the Secretary-General of the Kenyan Aviation Workers Union, Mus Ndima, confirmed the end of the strike, which primarily involved air traffic controllers on Sunday and Monday, causing significant delays and cancellations of flights to and from Nairobi.
The Kenyan Aviation Workers Union, along with the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority and the Kenya Airports Authority, signed an agreement to return to work, while negotiations on contentious issues that led to the strike will continue.
Ndima stated that the union decided to halt the action, urging workers to immediately begin restoring services to normal and clearing the backlog of flights.
The Transport Minister explained that the agreement established clear guidelines for addressing three collective bargaining agreements that have been pending since 2015, which are among the main issues that sparked the dispute between workers and employers.
According to the details of the return-to-work agreement, the union and the Civil Aviation Authority will begin negotiations on the collective bargaining agreement immediately, while the authority committed to implementing the results agreed upon. Additionally, a review of salaries will be completed according to the standards set by the Kenyan Salaries and Remuneration Commission. The dispute between the union and Jambojet regarding union recognition will remain before the courts, with both parties pledging to respect the ruling and take the actions determined.
The agreement also included a commitment not to punish, intimidate, or discriminate against workers due to their participation in the strike, which caused widespread disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya’s largest airport and a key hub in East Africa. The repercussions extended to regional airports, forcing airlines operating flights linked to Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, and Mauritius to cancel or adjust their schedules due to the disruption in Nairobi.
Operations at Mombasa, Eldoret, and Kisumu airports within Kenya were also affected, with travelers facing long wait times and congestion in airport terminals.
Despite the end of the strike, Kenya Airways warned of continued delays due to the backlog of flights over the past two days, confirming that its teams are working to gradually restore the flight schedule. The airline expects operations to return to normal by Wednesday, September 2, and indicated that it will send direct updates to affected travelers regarding their flight statuses and rebooking procedures.
