Nairobi: A strike by aviation workers in Kenya entered its second day on Monday, disrupting flights at major airports and leaving thousands of passengers facing long delays, cancellations and uncertainty over their travel plans.
The industrial action, led by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, has caused major disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya's main international airport. Moi International Airport in Mombasa has also been affected.
Hundreds of passengers spent Sunday night at JKIA after flights were delayed or cancelled. Some travellers said they had waited for hours for information about their flights. Airlines also began arranging hotel accommodation for some affected passengers.
The strike began on Sunday, August 30, after KAWU members at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the Kenya Airports Authority and Jambojet stopped work. The union says workers will remain on strike until progress is made on outstanding grievances with the three organisations.
The dispute includes the failure to conclude a collective bargaining agreement with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. Workers have also raised concerns about pay, employment conditions, previously agreed benefits, job security and career progression.
KAWU has also raised concerns about the use of National Youth Service personnel at airport facilities. At Jambojet, the union has raised concerns over union recognition and other employment issues.
The latest strike follows a framework agreement reached on July 27 after Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir brought KAWU and aviation employers together for negotiations.
The agreement suspended an earlier planned strike and created a process for resolving the workers' outstanding grievances. KAWU later said the process had failed to resolve its concerns, leading workers to resume industrial action on August 30.
The disruption has increasingly affected flight operations. Kenya Airways said on Monday that it was experiencing delays of more than six hours at JKIA because of the growing flight backlog. The airline said some flights had been rescheduled or cancelled as it worked to manage the disruption.
The airline had reported average delays of two to three hours on Sunday, showing that the disruption had worsened as the strike continued.
The Kenya Airports Authority said on Monday that continuing disruption to air traffic control services was affecting flight operations at JKIA, with some flights experiencing delays and cancellations.
KAA advised passengers to contact their airlines and confirm their flight status before travelling to the airport. It said it was working with airlines and other aviation stakeholders to reduce the impact of the disruption.
RwandAir also cancelled two flights on Sunday, citing air traffic control challenges in Nairobi.
The disruption has caused frustration among passengers who arrived at airports expecting to travel as scheduled. Some travellers reported waiting for hours for information, while others faced cancelled or rescheduled journeys.
The current action is not the first major labour dispute to affect Kenya's aviation sector this year. A similar strike in February caused significant disruption at JKIA before government intervention led to an agreement with the union.
The latest strike reflects continuing tensions over pay, working conditions, collective bargaining and other employment issues in Kenya's aviation sector.
Government officials and the union held discussions on Sunday, but the talks did not produce a settlement. Further discussions were scheduled for Monday, but the strike remained in effect and there was no confirmed breakthrough in the latest reports.
For passengers, the immediate situation remains uncertain. The Kenya Airports Authority has advised travellers to confirm their flight status with their airlines before going to the airport.
The total number of passengers affected and cancelled flights has not been officially confirmed. The duration of the disruption also remains uncertain as negotiations between the union and the government continue.