Kenyan aviation workers postpone planned strike

Kenya’s Workers Aviation Union (KAWU) has postponed for two weeks a strike that was scheduled to start on Monday.

The union, which represents airport workers, said this was to allow for talks with government over a proposed deal to develop the country’s main airport.

It believes the agreement with India’s Adani Airport Holding to upgrade Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will lead to job losses and bring in non-Kenyan workers.

The facility is a major African hub and industrial action would cause significant disruption to regional air traffic and national carrier, Kenya Airways.

The government has denied union claims that the airport is for sale, and said it had not yet decided whether go ahead with what it described as a “public-private partnership”.

It said Jomo Kenyatta is stretched beyond its capacity of 7.5 million passengers a year and is in urgent need of improvements.

Kenya's Airports Authority said the investment proposal includes a second runway and upgrades to the passenger terminal.