The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) has issued a seven-day strike notice over unresolved disputes with the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).
In a statement on Tuesday, September 23, KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema said the union has lost faith in the KAA board of directors.
“Pursuant to the provisions of Article 41 (2) (d) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Section 76 (a) and (c) of the Labour Relations Act 2007, and all other enabling provisions of the law, we wish to formally notify you that all unionisable employees of Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) shall go on strike after the expiry of seven (7) days from today, 23rd September 2025,” read the statement in part.
The KAWU Secretary General pointed out that the transfer of roles and functions performed by the GFS department to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) will result in the loss of jobs to employees currently working there.
Ndiema also said the strike notice has been triggered by the failure of KAA to confirm over 500 employees serving on fixed-term contracts in the authority.
“We have relentlessly engaged and pleaded with Management to confirm these employees to permanent and pensionable terms, but to no avail. Instead, Management’s position is that they intend to advertise the positions held by the contract employees and subject candidates to interviews,” he stated.
Ndiema also highlighted the failure of the authority to issue substantive appointment letters to employees who had been promoted to new positions, particularly Customer Service Assistants.
Other grievances include the failure to pay overtime to unionisable staff at Wilson Airport for the past six months and drastic changes in the Human Resources Department.
The KAWU Secretary General said the KAA employees will down their tools if the matter is not resolved.
“Unless all the above issues of dispute are adequately addressed and conclusively resolved as demanded to our satisfaction within the notice period given, we shall have no other alternative but to resort to industrial action,” Ndiema added.
The notice comes a year after the aviation workers went on strike and disrupted services at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other airports across the country.
The workers returned to work after Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, KAA, Kenya Airways, and KAWU signed a return-to-work formula.
The workers had gone on strike over the JKIA takeover by the Adani Group. They opposed the deal, citing fears over job losses and the secrecy of the deal between the Indian-based company and the government.
On November 21, President William Ruto ordered the cancellation of the Adani-JKIA expansion deal after receiving new information regarding the integrity of the Indian company.
