Aviation workers’ union has shut the operations of Kenya Airways in protest against the sack of 22 Nigerian workers at its Lagos office.

The workers, under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), had earlier faulted the mass dismissal, demanding that airline returns to the negotiation table for amicable resolution of the dispute.

But as at yesterday, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had intervened in the matter, forcing a temporary suspension of industrial action against the East African airline. A meeting of all parties had been scheduled for next Tuesday.

The picketing exercise, while it lasted, left scores of passengers stranded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Many passengers, who turned up for the mid-day flight, met the counters barricaded by the union members, with none of the airline’s officials on sight to provide information.

Secretary-General of NUATE, Olayinka Abioye, said the Kenya Airways has a duty to its workers to ensure it deals with them with respect, honour them while they exit and appreciate their contributions to the continued growth of the airline.
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