Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was in total disarray this Monday morning as Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) staff occupied the airport roads in protests over the Adani airport takeover.
Chaos engulfed the protected area as airport staff aired their grievances over KAA’s deal with Adani Airport Holdings Ltd.
Online videos capture a group of frustrated workers marching in unison, chanting powerful slogans, and singing songs of unity as they make their way through JKIA.
The main bone of contention is the proposed partnership between the Kenyan government and Adani Airport Holdings Ltd to revamp and expand JKIA.
The employees brought up several concerns including the fear of potential job losses for local workers, potential dilution of employment terms under new management, and the lack of public participation in the deal.
As it stands, Adani Group has established a subsidiary company in Kenya called Airports Infrastructure PLC (AIP). If the bid is approved, the company will be responsible for the operation, maintenance, development, design, construction, upgrade, modernization, and management of JKIA.
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) issued a strike notice last month, but their appeals to the government fell on deaf ears, leading staff to resort to picketing.
KAWU highlighted several concerns to be addressed by the government given the impending partnership with Adani Airport Holdings Limited.
The union fears that the partnership could result in job losses for local workers, as Adani Airport Holdings might bring in non-Kenyan workers and scale down the existing workforce.
There are also concerns that the terms of employment could be diluted under the new management.
Additionally, the union claims that the government has not followed legal requirements for public participation in this deal.
They also expressed frustration that their members, who are key stakeholders, were not involved in the discussions.
