Twenty pilots working for Kenya Airways (KQ) turned up for work on Monday, November 7, even as hundreds of their colleagues continue to ignore calls to call off the ongoing strike.
KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka revealed this on Monday afternoon while giving an update on the ongoing industrial action by Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA ) which entered day three today leaving more than 12,000 passengers stranded.
While threatening disciplinary action against the striking workers, the KQ boss noted that some 132 pilots had registered as unfit to fly over ill health and couldn’t report to duty.
“We have about 20 pilots who have availed themselves for duty today. We thank the pilots who continue to support the airline’s operations,” Kilavuka said.
He said while the 132 cases remain suspicious the pilots have a 48-hour window before they are required to provide evidence of sickness.
“So far, we have 132 pilots registered with our operations teams as unfit to fly. This is part of the CBA
that allows pilots a 48hr window not to provide any evidence of being unfit to fly. What it means is that
they could be protecting themselves against disciplinary action,” Kilavula added.
Kilavuka noted that the airline is pursuing court proceedings against KALPA executive committee for ignoring court orders blocking the strike.
“The company is also pursuing contempt of court proceedings against the KALPA executive committee,
jointly and severally, for breaching the Court Order for taking part in and inciting its members to
participate in an unlawful strike, causing immense revenue losses to the company, damaging the image
and reputation of the company, as well as National and economic sabotage,” he added.
At the same time, Kilavuka said the airline was forced to suspend 47 flights today due to the strike.
He, however, noted that as of 2:00 pm the management had restored 20 per cent of the network of its daily operations.
The airline is scheduled to operate 18 flights carrying over 2,000 passengers to various destinations including Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Entebbe (Uganda), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Harare (Zimbabwe), Lusaka (Zambia) and London (United Kingdom).
“We will operate 18 flights out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) carrying over 2,000 passengers to Addis Ababa (2 flights), Johannesburg, Entebbe, Mombasa (2 flights) Dar es Salaam, Harare, Lusaka, and London,” he said.
“We have reduced the number of disrupted passengers to around 9,000 from 12,000 yesterday by
working with our partner airlines such as Jambojet,” he added.
Currently, KQ has about 500 passengers accommodated in various hotels in Nairobi with some guests who were to depart to multiple destinations still waiting for their connections.
Earlier, KQ invited applications from qualified pilots amid reports of looming mass sackings.
In a job alert on their LinkedIn account, KQ said it was looking for persons to “provide support to the PIC so as to ensure the aircraft is operated as per the conditions laid down in the operations manual and its volumes.”
“Kenya Airways has invited applications for positions of Captains and First officers,” the advert reads.
The company further stated that interested persons should send their detailed Curriculum Vitae on LinkedIn only.
The deadline for sending the applications has been set for Friday, November 18, 2022.
“If you fit the profile, then apply today. Please submit a copy of your detailed Curriculum Vitae here on LinkedIn only by Friday, 18th November 2022. Due to the volume of applications that we receive, only short-listed candidates will be contacted,” part of the advert read.
The CEO said the talks between the management and the pilots union had reached a stalemate.
He warned that the troubled national carrier is losing Ksh300 million per day and if the pilots don’t return to work the airline might not be able to raise salaries for November.
Contrary to statements from the pilots’ association, Kilavuka indicated the airline has made efforts to end the strike but the workers have refused to return to work.
“The airline has furnished KALPA members with proposals on what it seeks to have the association amend in its list of irreducible minimums if a deal out of the stalemate is arrived at. KQ is now waiting for the pilots’ feedback,” the airline’s boss said.
KQ pilots down their tools on Saturday morning leading to disruptions of flights from JKIA.
KALPA Secretary General Murithi Nyagah had in a strike notice dated October 19 accused KQ management led by CEO Allan Kilavuka of unilaterally withdrawing the Staff Provident Fund.
The union also accused the national carrier of harassing its officials.
“We’re ready to resume work even today, so long as our grievances are addressed,” Nyagah stated.
The pilots demanded that the management reinstates the contribution of the pension fund that was halted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, they also said they want the airline’s board and executives removed for ‘poor governance’ highlighting that their attempts to have a discussion with the management of their airline bore no fruit.
“We hope the industrial action would prompt KQ’s management to call us to the negotiating table for a sober discussion. We sympathise with the passengers who have been affected by the strike,” Nyagah added.
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