Kenya Airways Management (KQ) has denied reports in the media of an impending strike slated for Wednesday and organized by Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (Kalpa).
Allaying the fears, Tuesday, saying KQ had not received any such strike notice purportedly from Kalpa, and that they were still in a good working relationship with all the stakeholders.
“Kenya Airways would like to clarify that the airline has not received any notice of an impending strike by our pilots, as has been reported in the Daily Nation. We also wish to confirm that we remain in compliance with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement,” read the statement in part.
According to Daily Nation, Kalpa Secretary-General Mr Muriithi Nyagah wrote to the Airline, terming the recent move by KQ to hire some 20 pilots on contract as illegal.
Kenya Airways would like to clarify that the airline has not received any notice of an impending strike by our pilots, as has been reported in the Daily Nation. We also wish to confirm that we remain in compliance with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
— Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) September 17, 2019
Last week, outgoing KQ CEO Sebastian Mikosz announced the plan to hire 20 pilots on contract for its Boeing 737 Airline.
This move would set the KQ boss on a collision path with Kalpa, which maintained that KQ was trying to scuttle the implementation of an earlier Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“We hereby demand an immediate freeze on the hiring of the said contract pilots. In addition, we expect an official response of this intent within seven days of this communication, failing which the association will take any action it deems fit,” stated Capt Nyaga in the notice to KQ.
In March, KQ recorded billions in losses after a huge strike led to the cancelling of multiple flights, characterized by a cat-and-mouse chase between riot police and KQ staffers.
On average, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport handles 12000 flights on each day, with departures averaging 8000.
“Cancelled and rescheduled flights come with costs including refunds and hosting passengers, not just here but in other airports whose flights were to terminate in Nairobi. This will cause untold financial burden to airlines,” Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia told the press then.