Airline Sacks Striking Workers As Chaos Reigns in Airports

Kenya Airways on Saturday sacked all striking workers.

The dismissal letters signed by the acting manager of passenger services Egla Too said the workers had breached their employment contract and were required to clear with the company immediately.

The decision by the airline complicated efforts to end the strike that entered its second day on Saturday.

Last night, trade union officials and KQ management were locked in tense negotiations to resolve the deadlock that could take a huge toll on the reputation of the national carrier and cost the economy millions of shillings.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary-general Francis Atwoli met KQ managers together with representatives of the striking workers. Speaking at the Aviation and Allied Workers Union offices in Embakasi, the Cotu boss called for "urgent measures to solve the crisis".

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association and Federation of Kenya Employers representatives also attended the negotiation meeting. AAWU secretary-general Jimmy Masege said that the union was willing to go down from the 130 per cent increase they have demanded to a "reasonable amount".

But Kenya Airways chief executive Titus Naikuni on Friday said a 130 per cent pay raise would bankrupt the company.

Least paid

AAWU officials said the least paid worker earned Sh8,863 but the airline's management refuted this putting the figure at Sh21,000 per month for the least paid employee.

The highest paid unionisable worker earns Sh80,000 per month including allowances, said Mr Naikuni. Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere warned striking employees of dire consequences.

"It is sad and shameful that the union has failed to recognise the current economic position globally and instead gone ahead to demand higher pay," said the minister.

As the negotiations continued, hundreds of Kenya Airways passengers were stranded at airports last evening.

Even as union officials and the airline's management struggled to end the deadlock, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Moi International Airport in Mombasa and Kisumu Airport were scenes of frustration and anguish as stranded passengers, including Members of Parliament, awaited word on their flights.

In Mombasa, angry passengers streamed into the airline's offices at the airport to enquire about their flights but the staff on duty were not helpful.

Issued statement

The national carrier issued a statement apologising to its customers for the inconveniences.

"Unfortunately, JKIA continues to be very crowded with delayed passengers as a result of the cancelled flights," said the carrier's chief executive Naikuni in a statement sent to newsrooms by public relations firm Gina Din Corporate Communications.

The Sunday Nation found Environment assistant minister Ramadhan Kajembe at the Mombasa airport where his wife and daughter were scheduled to catch a flight to Malaysia for the daughter's graduation.

"My daughter is going for her graduation ceremony and rehearsals are scheduled for Monday, she is worried," Mr Kajembe said. He urged the ministry of Transport to introduce another national carrier to compete with Kenya Airways to avoid similar occurrences.

Other MPs stranded at the airport were Adan Keynan, Daniel Muoki, Peter Kiilu, George Thuo and Simon Mbugua.

Missed meetings

Mr Thuo, who missed four meetings yesterday, urged the airline and its employees to end the standoff.

In Nairobi, passengers cancelled their travel plans. A businessman, Hassan Mataru, who was going on a business trip to Dubai, said he had been forced to call it off due to the strike. Most passengers accused the airline of keeping them in the dark.

"I don't know what is happening. There are no KQ officials here ... I have been at the departure lounge since 8 in the morning. This is so bad," said a passenger who called the Sunday Nation from the airport. "I don't know what to do. My business trip to Dubai is cancelled and I will incur a lot of losses because I had an order already," said jewellery dealer Satwinda Mugesh.

At the Kisumu airport, a handwritten notice at the KQ desk at the airport indicated Saturday's 6 p.m. flight to Nairobi had been cancelled. The notice said in part: "Flight 653 cancelled today".

A Kenya Airports Authority official who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media said there were no KQ flights in Kisumu. Many passengers opted to travel by road or used alternative airlines operating at the airport.

Apart from Kenya Airways, other airlines operating at the Kisumu airport include Jetlink and Fly540.

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