A Kenya Airways plane in flight. Court has stopped the national carrier from sacking employees. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP The carrier is expected to resume operation of local flights on July 15 and intends to cut costs by retaining only staffers essential to keeping KQ planes in the air.
But the court orders could now force KQ to cater for its usual wage bill until Justice Wasilwa gives a final determination on the issues raised in court.
The High Court has suspended plans by Kenya Airways to lay off some of its staff and send others on unpaid leave ahead of resumption of domestic flights, a move that could force the struggling airline to dig deeper into its pockets to implement its recovery plan.
Justice Hellen Wasilwa also suspended Kenya Airways’ plan to implement a 30 per cent pay cut for staffers who will be on duty when the national carrier resumes operations.
The carrier is expected to resume operation of local flights on July 15 and intends to cut costs by retaining only staffers essential to keeping KQ planes in the air.
As part of its recovery plan, KQ planned to send workers not essential to flight operations on unpaid leave, while effecting pay cuts for those who will be on duty.
The cost cutting plan was to take effect between July and September, subject to review.
UNPAID LEAVE
The airline, in a communication to staff, stated that workers on unpaid leave will not be owed anything, and will not accrue leave days.
Save for medical insurance, staffers on unpaid leave were also to have their benefits suspended until they are called back to work.
The court orders were issued following two separate cases filed by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), which argue that the national carrier is violating a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).The lobby argues that an agreement it had with Kenya Airways provided that pay cuts and unpaid leave would only apply until the national carrier resumes operations.KAWU says that KQ has not consulted it on extending the agreement to cover the coming months when the airline shall operate local and selected international flights.The lobby has also protested KQ’s communication to staff, on grounds that workers who will not agree to the new terms on pay cuts and unpaid leave will be considered to have willingly resigned. TEMPORARY INJUNCTION “Pending the hearing and determination of the application, the […]
