Nairobi: Kenyan aviation workers have called off a two day strike that caused significant flight delays and cancellations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and other airports across the country.
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union, KAWU, reached a return to work agreement with the government, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the Kenya Airports Authority and Jambojet on Tuesday.
KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema said the union had called off the industrial action and directed affected workers to resume their normal duties immediately.
The agreement allows airport operations to resume, but passengers may continue to face delays as airlines work to clear the backlog created by the strike.
The industrial action began on Sunday, August 30, and continued through Monday. It mainly involved air traffic controllers and disrupted flights at JKIA and other major airports. The affected airports included Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Eldoret International Airport and Kisumu International Airport.
Thousands of passengers were affected by delays and cancellations. Some passengers spent many hours at JKIA waiting for information about their flights or arrangements to reach their destinations.
The disruption also affected regional flights involving countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia and Mauritius.
The strike was linked to several long running labour disputes involving KAWU, aviation authorities and employers.
One of the main issues is the Collective Bargaining Agreement between KAWU and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. Three collective bargaining agreements have remained suspended since 2015, according to the union.
Under the return to work agreement, KAWU and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority will immediately resume negotiations on the outstanding collective bargaining issues.
The authority has agreed to negotiate in good faith and honour and implement the outcome of the negotiations.
Salary negotiations will also continue under new parameters issued by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission on Tuesday. KAWU has expressed reservations about the new guidelines but agreed to address its concerns during the collective bargaining negotiations.
The agreement does not provide a final settlement on salaries. Instead, it allows the negotiations to continue.
The Kenya Airports Authority has also agreed to immediately remit agency fees owed to KAWU and currently held by the authority.
Another unresolved issue concerns Jambojet and the union's demand for recognition. The matter remains before the court. The parties have agreed to respect the court's decision and follow any directions issued by the court.
The agreement also provides protection for workers who took part in the industrial action. They are not to face victimisation, intimidation, discrimination or disciplinary action because they participated in the strike.
Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, said the government and the union had agreed on a way forward for the outstanding issues. The parties are expected to continue negotiations to address the labour disputes that led to the strike.
The latest industrial action follows a similar dispute in February, when aviation workers also disrupted operations at JKIA and other facilities. That dispute was resolved after the government and the union agreed to return to work and continue discussions.
The latest strike has again shown the importance of JKIA as a major regional aviation hub. Disruptions at the Nairobi airport can affect domestic services as well as international and regional connections.
Although the workers have returned to their duties, flight operations are not expected to return to normal immediately. Kenya Airways said its teams were working to clear the backlog caused by the strike and warned passengers to expect some delays.
The national carrier expects to resume its normal scheduled operations by Wednesday, September 2. Jambojet has also resumed operations, although passengers may experience delays while the airline clears affected flights.
The end of the strike therefore provides immediate relief for passengers, but the wider labour disputes in Kenya's aviation sector remain to be resolved through negotiations and the ongoing court process.