The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) announced on Friday that it has contingency plans to prevent disruptions to airport operations due to a possible strike by the country’s main aviation union, set to start on August 19.
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which represents staff at airports and Kenya Airways, has threatened to go on strike starting Monday.
This protest is in response to a proposed deal with India’s Adani Airports Holdings to develop Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya’s largest airport.
The union is concerned that this deal could result in job losses and the hiring of non-Kenyan workers, referring to it in their strike notice as the “intended sale” of the airport.
The Kenyan government has clarified that the airport is not for sale and that no final decision has been made on the proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the airport.
The KAA emphasized that discussions are ongoing between the Ministry of Roads and Transport, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, KAA Management, and the Kenya Aviation Workers Union to reach a mutually agreeable solution.