Pilots defy court order, insist strike still on

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) has defied a court order stopping their strike set for Thursday, and issued a fresh strike notice if their demands are not met.

The association’s Secretary General Captain Paul Githinga, in a statement, said that they held a meeting Wednesday evening and resolved to down their tools if their demands are not met.

Among their demands is the resignation of Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Mbuvi Nguze, saying he cannot steer the loss-making airline back to profitability.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court Judge Nduma Nderi on Wednesday issued orders stopping the pilots’ strike, terming the 48-hour strike notice issued by the pilots as illegal.

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) issued a two-day strike notice to Kenya Airways on Tuesday, demanding the immediate resignation of Ngunze and criticising his turnaround strategy.

The carrier, which is 26.7 percent owned by Air France KLM, has been selling assets, including planes, and plans to lay off 600 people as it battles deep losses.

The pilots blamed the airlines poor performance on the CEO as well as instilling what they term as a string of bad decisions that could hurt the airline.

Among the decisions they felt could jeopardize the airline include costly agreements with travel agents as well as sale and leasing of the airline’s aircrafts.

The pilots also criticized the airlines management for selling its parking slot at London’s Heathrow Airport.