Crisis as KQ pilots vow to commence strike tomorrow

In a statement issued on Friday, KALPA threatened to commence its strike saying that no flights operated by its staff would be leaving the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from dawn.

“KALPA the representative voice of all pilots in the country, Kenya Airways included, wishes to inform members of the public that beginning Saturday, 5th November 2022, from 6.00 am local time, there shall be no Kenya Airways aircraft departing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) flown by a KALPA member,” read a statement by CEO Captain Muriithi Nyagah.

While referring to the notice issued to the Kenya Airways (KQ) management on October 19, 2022, the KAPLA boss underscored that the two parties had not reached an agreement and thus the strike was inevitable.

“We hoped that the Management of the airline would soften its hard stance and engage in a negotiation on the issues raised. However, and as we mentioned at our press conference on November 1, 2022, Kenya Airways Management has not made any meaningful attempt to engage and have these matters resolved,” Capt. Nyagah stated.

“Sadly, Kenya Airways Management's actions have left us with no other option. The strike notice has since expired and we are therefore at liberty to exercise our right to withdraw our labour forthwith, as enshrined in Article 41, Chapter 4 of the Kenyan Constitution.”

In the said notice, KALPA sought to have the Airline offer better working conditions for its workers and to ensure that KQ is managed professionally.

The union also demands the airline restart contributions to its staff pension fund, which stopped during the pandemic, and the payment of all back salaries that were accrued at the time.

During a negotiation meeting on Tuesday, KALPA and KQ management failed to reach a truce with KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka saying that the pilots had maintained a hard stance demanding the reinstatement of the Provident Fund which the airline says they cannot afford. 

"As Kenya Airways we were on the negotiating table with the pilots and they (KALPA) refused to bend on their demands making it hard to reach a resolution," said Kilavuka on November 1, 2022.