Aviation Workers Call Off Strike After Three Days of Flight Disruptions

NAIROBI, Kenya – Aviation workers have called off a three-day strike that disrupted flight operations at major airports after the government and the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) reached a Return-to-Work Agreement.

The agreement was reached following overnight talks convened by Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir on Monday evening, August 31.

KAWU subsequently called off the industrial action and directed affected employees to resume their normal duties immediately.

The strike had disrupted operations at airports across the country, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and causing significant delays and cancellations.

Among the facilities most affected were Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa, where operations were brought close to a standstill.

Workers ordered back to duty

Under the agreement signed on Monday, KAWU directed all employees affected by the strike to return to work.

“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,” part of the agreement stated.

Workers were also directed to cooperate with management to facilitate the immediate restoration and continuity of normal airport operations.

The return-to-work deal is expected to pave the way for the resumption of normal flight schedules, although airlines may require time to clear the backlog created by the disruptions.

What caused the aviation strike?

The workers had been demanding improvements in several areas, including remuneration, employee welfare, working conditions and implementation of previously agreed employment benefits.

KAWU Secretary General Moses Ndiema said the union had previously agreed to a framework under which individual employers would address outstanding grievances.

However, Ndiema said several employers failed to engage with the union, prompting workers to issue another strike notice.

“We agreed on a framework for each employer to sit down and handle the grievances. Apart from KAA, the other three refused to address our issues, which forced us to issue another strike notice on Friday,” Ndiema said.

The failure to resolve the outstanding matters eventually resulted in the industrial action that disrupted airport operations.

KAA to remit outstanding agency fees

As part of the agreement, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) agreed to immediately remit agency fees owed to KAWU.

The fees had previously been withheld by the authority, according to the agreement.

The resolution of the issue formed part of the commitments made to persuade the union to suspend the strike and allow airport operations to resume.

KCAA and union to negotiate new CBA

Another key provision of the agreement concerns negotiations between the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and KAWU over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The parties agreed that the negotiations would proceed, with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) providing parameters to guide the discussions.

SRC had withdrawn its earlier guidance issued in July and subsequently issued new parameters for the negotiations.

Although KAWU expressed reservations about some of the new SRC guidelines, the union and government agreed that the outstanding issues would be addressed through the CBA negotiations.

KCAA management also undertook to honour and implement the outcome of the negotiations.

Workers protected from victimisation

The Return-to-Work Agreement also contains protections for employees who participated in the industrial action.

The agreement provides that no employee should be victimised, intimidated, discriminated against or subjected to disciplinary action because of their participation in the strike.

The provision is intended to prevent reprisals against workers as they return to their duties.

Flight disruptions leave passengers stranded

The three-day industrial action caused widespread disruption to air travel, affecting both domestic and international passengers.

Travellers reported cancellations, long delays and uncertainty over departure times as airport workers reduced or halted services.

The disruption was particularly damaging because JKIA serves as a major regional aviation hub, connecting Kenya to destinations across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Airlines are now expected to work through the backlog of passengers and flights affected by the strike.