By Louis Ibah.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on Tuesday grounded the operations of Kenya Airways over disagreements bothering on the poor remuneration for its Nigerian staff. The union also demanded the removal of the airline’s Nigerian country manager, Mr. Hafeez Balogun for failing to take steps to protect the rights of Nigerian workers. The union while picketing the airline refused to allow staff undertake any form of work, especially at the various passenger counters of the airline. The protesting workers carried several placards with messages that rejected the anti Nigerian labour policies of the airline to Nigerian workers. Some of the placards read “say no to modern day slavery by Kenya Airways”. “Say no to casualisation of workers.” “Nigerian workers suffering in the hands of foreign companies”. An NLC flag was similarly hoisted at the check-in-counter of the airline.
Daily Sun learnt that the picketing came following the collapse of talks between the airline’s management and the Union for the increase in salaries for Nigerian workers and an end to casualisation of the local staff. “It is the failure to resolve all these issues through dialogue despite consistent efforts by the Union that led to this picketing and the complete shutdown of Kenya Airline operations this morning,” said one of the protesting workers who refused to give his name.