Published on : Wednesday, March 6, 2019
The armed forces have been deployed in an effort to break the industrial action at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta airport. The situation has now eased slightly and a few flights have taken off, but there is a long backlog of passengers.
Workers are unhappy about plans to merge the airport authority and the national airline. Airports in Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu have also been disrupted.
The government has condemned the strike as illegal and Kenyan air force personnel have been brought in to help screen passengers.
Earlier there were clashes at Jomo Kenyatta airport between demonstrating workers and paramilitary riot police. Officers used batons and tear gas to disperse strikers, some of whom were injured.
A number of stranded passengers needed medical treatment after inhaling tear gas, according to media reports.
A key figure in organising the strike, Kenya Aviation Workers Union secretary-general Moss Ndiema, was arrested. A report on the privately owned newspaper’s website said he had been “roughed up”.
Kenya Airways says the situation is improving, with long-haul flights to Amsterdam and Mumbai having departed, others boarding and domestic flights “set to resume shortly”.
Some flights to regional destinations have been cancelled.
Frustrated passengers have complained of a lack of information and support from the authorities, with travellers waiting for hours with no update on their flights.
Others voiced anger at the use of force to break up the protest.
The aviation workers complain of unfair staff hiring, poor remuneration and that the proposed take-over would put their jobs at risk.
Tags: Kenyan airports