Workers end strike call ahead of KQ maiden flight to US

Kenya Airways’ first direct flight to the US will go on planned after aviation workers’ union agreed to suspend a boycott of the national carrier’s maiden trip.

The much hyped maiden flight was threatened by a staff boycott following a row over cabin crew allowances for working overtime.

However, the employees through the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (Kawu) and KQ consented before Justice Byram Ongaya at the Labour court on a way forward pending the determination of the suit before that court on the dispute.

“Express flight to USA scheduled for October 28 and subsequent ones will take place as planned in accordance with Kenyan and USA laws generally and in particular as relates to cabin crew members,” said Justice Ongaya.

Kenya Airways (KQ) moved to court to thwart any of its workers’ plans to boycott job come Sunday when the much awaited new route flight is set to kick off its operations.

Whilst it had earlier told court that the workers had intended to boycott work on the said date, the union alleged that there was no planned strike since it is not in doubt that operations of KQ are of public interest.

But the Union went ahead to disclose that the national carrier had not come into agreement with its cabin crew members on whether they will be paid allowances for the extra working hours during the 19 hours flight.

The union wants the cabin crew to be paid Sh20, 000 as allowances per hour for overtime but KQ has offered to pay them Sh5, 000 per hour.

According to the union, crew members are required to work for 12 hours plus additional two to five extra hours and that they are all required to be issued with a Kenya Civil Authority license to operate as per the international aviation standards.

They argued through their Secretary-General Moses Ndiema that the crew members risk to be arrested in the US.

“No attention has been given to our  issues hence members risk being arrested and imprisoned while in the US for violating local and international regulations,” said Mr Ndiema.

He added: “we are not stopping the direct maiden flights as alleged, we are requesting KQ to engage us to amend the Collective Bargaining Agreement to allow unionisable members to operate legally and avoid arrest as per international laws.”

However KQ’s managing director Sebastian Mikosz told court that the airline’s current financial position is week and that any impact on its operations would ultimately cripple it as well as bar it from recovering.

He pleaded with the court to block any efforts aimed at affecting the much awaited maiden trip to the US saying that the company is banking on it so as to recover its financial muscle as well as get goodwill among its customers worldwide.

Regarding the pending CBA negotiations, he asked the union to keep off using black mail to coerce the company to give into their demands especially while using the US direct flights initiative.

“KQ stands to suffer several delays and cancellations of flights since any disruption to the airline now will be very significant,” said Mr Mikosz.

While extending an order barring the staff from boycotting work, Justice Ongaya directed that the case be mentioned on October 31 for further directions.