Kenya aviation workers end strike that disrupted flights: Officials

The aviation strike that caused significant disruptions at Kenya's main international and regional airports has now been called off. Transportation Minister Davis Chirchir and union head Moss Ndiema announced the return to work agreement on Tuesday. The strike primarily involved air traffic controllers who decided to end their protest on Sunday and Monday.

These actions led to delays and cancellations of numerous flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, as well as at other airports throughout East Africa. All parties, including the union, the airport, civil aviation authorities, and low-cost airline Jambojet, signed an agreement to end the strike. They agreed to continue negotiations on outstanding issues involving three collective bargaining agreements that had been suspended since 2015.

Chirchir highlighted these ongoing negotiations as part of their approach to resolving the issues. The strike was prompted by long-standing grievances concerning the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the airports operator Kenya Airports Authority, and Jambojet, the low-cost subsidiary of Kenya Airways. The union sought court intervention, pointing out issues such as the absence of a collective bargaining agreement at the Civil Aviation Authority, delayed salary reviews, disputes over union dues at the Kenya Airports Authority, and actions against union members at Jambojet.

Airport passengers reported long waits for updates as the disruption lasted into a second day on Monday. Foreign airlines operating routes to and from airports in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, and Mauritius had to cancel or reschedule flights due to the disruption in Nairobi.