A section of aviation workers distance themselves from KAWU's strike threat

A section of aviation workers led by Aviation Security Instructor Joyce Kaburu have distanced themselves from a 7 day strike notice issued by KAWU. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

A brewing standoff has emerged within Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), with a section of aviation workers distancing themselves from a seven-day strike notice issued by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) and throwing their weight behind the management.

The workers, who claim they represent the “silent majority” at KAA, accused KAWU’s leadership of pursuing disputes that could be resolved through dialogue and warned that industrial action would disrupt an aviation sector they described as sensitive and vulnerable to security threats.

They also challenged the legality of the union’s leadership, demanding fresh elections and the establishment of a KAWU branch at KAA to handle workplace disputes.

Aviation Security Instructor Joyce Kaburu said workers should not be pushed into industrial action over what she termed as "small issues" such as agency fees, uniforms and shift arrangements.

“We disagree with any call for an industrial action for very minor reasons. Reasons we can actually sit on the table and agree on,” Kaburu said on Wednesday during a press briefing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

This comes hours after KAWU issued a seven-day strike notice, demanding the resignation of KAA's Managing Director Moses Wekesa.

The looming industrial action also comes weeks after a two-day go-slow in the sector that was called off following the signing of a Return-to-Work Agreement between the Ministry of Transport and the Union led by its spokesperson Moss Ndiema.

Kaburu defended Mr Wekesa, who has been given seven days to leave office, saying workers should respect the office and allow management to resolve outstanding issues.

“We are calling out KAWU to leave our MD alone. We have amicable ways of resolving these issues. They should not go every time on camera saying that the MD does this, MD that,” she said.

She maintained that the aviation sector could not afford disruptions arising from disputes she described as manageable, noting that airports remain attractive targets for terrorists.

“We are professionals and we understand our mandate very, very well. We do not want to continue to damage our reputation,” she said.

The workers also took issue with Ndiema’s conduct, accusing him of using inappropriate language when addressing KAA management and repeatedly demanding the removal of successive managing directors.

Kaburu cited previous acting MDs, whom she said KAWU had similarly demanded be removed, arguing that the current pressure on Wekesa was part of a recurring pattern.

They also questioned KAWU’s representation of KAA employees, claiming that about 90 per cent of unionisable workers are not union members but have been paying agency fees.

Kaburu challenged the union to recruit more members instead of seeking to enforce agency-fee payments, alleging that KAWU is illegally receiving subscription fees from non-members.

“If you really want this money from the workers, you have a very good avenue. Recruit the members. Let them be your members. It is a willing seller, willing buyer,” she said.

Call Centre Supervisor Edward Lepore similarly dismissed KAWU’s claim that agency fees should form part of the issues surrounding the return-to-work agreement, arguing that the matter had already been dealt with by the courts.

Lepore said the agency-fee issue was not contained in the July 20 strike notice and was instead introduced during negotiations for a return-to-work formula.

“The issue surrounding agency fees is not an issue to be discussed anymore. Once an issue is decided by a competent court of law, that issue cannot be overturned by a mere return-to-work formula,” he claimed.

He said KAWU should have appealed the court decision if it disagreed with it rather than make the matter a basis for industrial action.

Lepore also disputed KAWU’s claims regarding harassment of shop stewards, arguing that there were no legally elected shop stewards representing KAA workers.

“Shop stewards are lawfully elected by the members, the workers themselves who represent them. Should you ask any of those people purporting to be shop stewards who elected them into office, none of them will even explain where an election has ever been done,” he said.

The workers accused KAWU of failing to hold regular elections since its formation, with Kaburu demanding an overhaul of the union’s leadership.

“We are sick and tired. We call out that they must immediately call for elections. We need elections like yesterday,” she said.

According to Kaburu, elections should be held from the Secretary General’s office to branch-level positions, arguing that a KAA branch would prevent routine workplace grievances from being escalated to the union’s national office.

The workers’ intervention comes against the backdrop of broader tensions over the implementation of the return-to-work agreement and the agency-fee dispute.

They insisted that they were not opposed to trade unionism but objected to the use of strike threats over issues they considered resolvable through established mechanisms.

“We are not against trade unionism. We really appreciate trade unions because these are the only languages that our employers hear,” Kaburu said. “But what we are saying is that not every issue deserves or warrants a strike notice.”

Lepore said KAA workers did not participate in the previous industrial action despite KAWU presenting it as an all-aviation dispute.

He maintained that the seven-day ultimatum to the MD was unacceptable, insisting that management was acting within the law.

Ndiema has since refuted the claim, claiming that the allegations are "a plot by the MD" to seek protection from staff who were his moles in the union.

"Moses Wekesa must go. He is sponsoring factions against the union," he told The Standard.

The workers further called for greater communication from KAA management as the authority undergoes institutional changes, saying employees need clarity on the implications of the transition from a parastatal arrangement to a public limited company.

They also urged management to review cases involving dismissed employees who have lodged appeals, saying the affected workers deserved to be heard.