Kenya Aviation Workers Union call off their boycott

In exchange for the release of arrested Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) Officials, the strike by the union members that rocked the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has been suspended.

On Monday, KAWU entered a bargaining plea with the Director of the Public Persecution (DPP) whom has withdrawn the criminal charges against those arrested during the industrial action.

The officials apprehended last week include: KAWU Secretary General Moses Ndiema , Richard Mutei, Robert Lichoro, Dan Kataka, Martha Wangeci, Selina Awala, Maxwell Osaka, Joyrender Ochieng, Charles Mwangi and Nicholas Barasa.

The striking aviation workers are allowed to air and pursue their grievances within the legal framework, thus, they are to obey the issue given out by the Employment and Labour Relation Court on 5th of March 2019 that prevents them from holding job action.

In the agreement, the aviation workers are expected to work together with their employer so as to bring operations at the main aerodrome back to normal.

However, no member of the union who took part in the strike will be victimized or intimidated by their employers.

Read: Crisis at JKIA as flights grounded by striking airport staff

“There shall be no victimization of union officials, KAWU, and all employees in any manner whatsoever by the Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Airways PLC, Tradewinds Aviation Services, and any other employer at JKIA affected by the industrial action,” states the agreement.

Last Wednesday, the airport staff downed their tools over proposed plans to handover airport management to the loss-making Kenya Airways (KQ).

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The plan named as ‘Project Simba’ proposes amalgamation of KQ and KAA to manage operations at JKIA. The proposal has not only been rejected by the aviation workers but also the National Assembly citing that a lot is at stake.

The boycott at the largest air terminal in the country led to loss of millions of shillings as inbound and outbound flights were grounded with few taking off after intervention from the Kenya Air Force and National Youth Service (NYS).