The end of the strike has cleared the way for normal flight operations at Kenyan airports after the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) reached a return-to-work agreement with the government following overnight talks.
KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema directed union members to resume duty and work with airport management to clear the backlog created by the industrial action.
The agreement addresses several issues that had pushed aviation workers to strike, including agency fees, delayed Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and disputes involving the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Jambojet.
Ndiema said the union had accepted compromises to end the disruption and protect the interests of workers and the wider public.
“Even though we have got everything as we wanted, we have made compromises that we believe will be in the benefit of our members and the country,” he said.
He also apologised to passengers who were affected by the strike and urged workers to begin restoring services.
“We want to apologize to travellers, all those who have been inconvenienced,” Ndiema said.
Workers were expected to return in phases, with those reporting during the morning asked to begin clearing affected areas and restoring normal operations.
A major outcome of the talks was an agreement to restart negotiations for a new CBA between KAWU and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
Ndiema said negotiations would begin within days, describing the agreement as one of the key gains secured by the union.
“The key thing that we have achieved is that we will be beginning collective bargaining negotiations with KCAA in a matter of a day or two,” he said.
He later formally declared the industrial action over, saying, “With this press statement, we are effectively calling off our strike action.”
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the government and the union had signed a return-to-work formula covering the main disputes behind the strike.
Among the issues addressed are agency fees that had been suspended or stopped, as well as three outstanding CBAs. Chirchir said the parties would rely on guidelines issued by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to guide the negotiations.
The agreement is particularly significant for KCAA employees who have gone without a CBA since 2015.
“We should be able to accordingly address those concerns and ensure that the staff, particularly of KCAA, who did not have a collective bargaining agreement since 2015 are addressed accordingly,” Chirchir said.
The return-to-work deal also provides for the immediate remittance of agency fees held by KAA. It protects workers who took part in the strike from victimisation, intimidation, discrimination or disciplinary action linked to their participation.
Chirchir acknowledged the disruption had caused major economic losses, saying the impact had been “huge”, but said the dispute had now been resolved.
With workers returning to their stations, KAWU has called for cooperation between employees and airport management as efforts begin to clear the disruption and restore flight operations.