A strike by aviation workers at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has led to flight delays and cancellations. The strike, which began at midnight on Tuesday, is in protest of a proposed deal between the Kenyan government and India’s Adani Group to lease the airport for 30 years.
Kenya’s Aviation Workers Union organised the strike, as the agreement could result in job losses and the hiring of non-Kenyan workers. The union has expressed concerns over “inferior terms and conditions” for workers who may remain employed after the takeover.
The deal, announced in July, would reportedly allow Adani Group to upgrade the airport, including building a new runway and renovating the terminal. In exchange, the Indian multinational firm will operate it for three decades. The Kenyan government has insisted that the airport is not for sale and that the arrangement is part of a public-private partnership to modernise the facility.
On Monday, Kenya’s High Court temporarily blocked the agreement, pending a judicial review following a lawsuit filed by the Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
Footage from local media showed striking workers chanting and blowing plastic trumpets at the airport while stranded passengers queued outside. Kenya Airways has warned of further delays and potential cancellations due to the ongoing disruption.
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