NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 2 – The Aviation and Allied Workers Union staff of national carrier Kenya Airways are set to begin a go-slow in a bid to pressure the airline’s management to improve working conditions.
KQ staff said that the move was as a result of being overworked and low morale due to low rates of compensation for the cabin crew working overtime.
The effect of their actions was felt mostly on Sunday when a number of flights into Europe were delayed for hours.
KQ Corporate Communications Manger Chris Karanja however refuted those claims blaming the delays to technical hitches and flight restrictions over Libyan airspace.
“Delays happen every other day whenever there are operational issues,” Mr Karanja said when questioned over the incident.
The unionsable staff of KQ are scheduled to issue a statement on Thursday where they will air their issues with the airline.
A statement from Kenya Airways Group Managing Director Titus Naikuni indicates that the airline management has been undertaking discussions with the staff over the past few months to reach an amicable solution in line with collective bargaining agreement between Kenya Airways and AAWU.
“Kenya Airways has not been served with a notice of any industrial action as we continue to follow the due process outlined above in ensuring that the negotiations on the CBA with the AAWU are speedily concluded. The airline also contends that the restraining order of October 2010 against the union taking industrial action is still in force,” Mr Naikuni said in the statement.
Mr Naikuni said they intend on resolving the matters under contention adding that all the parties involved would have helped to fast track the exercise and save the airline from incurring huge and unnecessary expenditures in this process.
He indicated that the matter had been referred to the Minister for Labour who appointed a conciliator who thereafter referred the same to Industrial Court.
The court has set the hearing date for August 31 2011.
