Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua met with representatives and leaders of aviation workers, including select civil aviation employees, to listen to their concerns.
The government through the Ministry of Labour on Wednesday, September 4 moved to address concerns raised by aviation workers during their recent demonstrations over plans to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi to Adani group, an Indian conglomerate.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua met with representatives and leaders of aviation workers, including select civil aviation employees, to listen to their concerns.
The attendees represented over 1,000 staff members, and Mutua, acting as an arbitrator between the employees and their employer, the Ministry of Transport, was keen to understand their views.
“The workers had requested this meeting so that I could relay their issues to the Ministry of Roads and Transport. Throughout our discussions, it became clear that the employees lacked a complete understanding of key issues affecting their welfare, leading to the spread of various rumours,” Mutua revealed in a statement.
Labour Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alfred Mutua during a meeting with representatives and leaders of aviation workers, including select civil aviation employees, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on September 4, 2024. /ALFRED MUTUA
“During the open session, the workers candidly shared their challenges, fears, and concerns. I took the opportunity to brief them on government initiatives and their rights.”
During the meeting, it was agreed that the CS would urge the Transport Ministry under his counterpart, Davis Chirchir, to provide them with all available information regarding the planned Public-Private Partnership (PPP) involving JKIA.
“I also encouraged them to seek out accurate information, ensuring their opinions are based on facts rather than propaganda,” he added.
“I listened closely to their grievances and appreciated the need for better communication from their employer. We agreed that I would arrange for their union leaders to hold another session with the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport early next week.”
Mutua lastly requested that the workers wait for the release of the necessary documents and further clarification from their employer before taking any further action.
He moved to assure them of his and the Ministry of Labour’s commitment to fairness and emphasized that their concerns, especially regarding how the proposed PPP will affect their rights and employment terms, will be addressed promptly.
The meeting came just two days after the workers including those drawn from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) took to the streets on Monday, September 2 in response to the government’s plan to lease JKIA to the Indian firm.
Led by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) Secretary General Moses Ndiema, the workers carried placards, while condemning the Public Private Partnership (PPP) deal, which would see Adani Group Holdings take control of East Africa’s busiest airport.
During their protest, they chanted “Adani must go” as they marched back to their workstations, arguing that the deal with Adani posed a threat to their jobs, favouring foreign workers over local employees.
The staff who had converged at the KAA head office voiced their concerns before being addressed by the KAA acting managing director Henry Ogoye.
The airport workers held the protests despite calling off the demonstrations a day before. On August 31, the workers postponed a strike that had been planned for September 1 to allow room for talks.
The protests were called off following President William Ruto’s intervention after he met with union leaders and top government officials on Monday, August 26.
Notably, President Ruto on July 28 denounced reports of a plot to sell JKIA to the Indian firm, defending his decision to contract the private investor to develop JKIA by arguing that the costs of refurbishing the country’s largest airport threatened to exact a huge toll on the government, thus the need for a third party.
