Kenya Airports Authority dismisses striking workersBy CHARLES OMONDI in Nairobi | Monday, April 9  2012 at  15:40

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has sacked its striking workers

A press statement from the Managing Director's office Monday said all workers "still engaged in the illegal strike have been deemed to have deserted duty and are summarily dismissed''.

Dismissal letters, the statement pointed out, had been issued to the affected personnel.

"We take this opportunity to assure the general public that operations at all our airports have continued with no interruptions," the KAA statement said.

The management, the KAA statement went on, had put in place contingency measures with the support of government agencies and other airport stakeholders.

According to the airport authority's management, 50 per cent and 80 per cent of the staff had resumed work respectively at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa at the coast.

At Kisumu and Eldoret international airports, both in western Kenya, 100 per cent of the staff had resumed duty , the KAA statement said.

About 1,300 KAA staff went on a countrywide strike last Friday, demanding a pay increase.

Speaking on behalf of the disenchanted airports staff, the Aviation and Allied Workers Union secretary general, Mr Nicholas Baraza, said they resorted to the strike action after their employer failed to implement a new pay structure agreed on earlier.

“We have been patiently waiting since October last year when the last collective bargaining agreement (2010/2011) expired,” Mr Baraza said at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Friday.

Mr Baraza pointed out that they were demanding a 25 per cent pay increase, but the employer had only offered them 9 per cent.