Kenya Airways pilots to go on Strike from Saturday

Kenya Airways pilots under the Kenya Airline Pilots Association are set to down their tools from Saturday after the airline failed to resolve their grievances. The association had accused the airline of pilot victimization and harassment as well as unilateral withdrawal of the staff provident fund, non-adherence to Kenya Civil Aviation Regulations, and leadership and governance challenges.

In a statement, Kenya Airline Pilots Association General Secretary Murithi Nyaga said that from 6.00am tomorrow, there shall be no Kenya Airways aircraft departing from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport flown by its member.

He noted that On October 19 this year, the Association issued a 14-day industrial action notice to the management of Kenya Airways, as the last resort in their attempts to seek better working conditions for their members and ensure that Kenya Airways is managed professionally. The strike notice has since expired and they are therefore at liberty to exercise their right to withdraw labour forthwith as enshrined in Article 41, Chapter 4 of the Kenyan constitution.

Murithi stated that the Kenya Airways management has not made any meaningful attempt to engage them to have their matters resolved which left them with no other option but to go on strike.

The Kenya Airways Board had said that none of the grievances advanced by the Kenya Airline Pilots Association merit an industrial strike.