Kenya Airways salary talks with pilots hit turbulence

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (Kalpa) has suspended talks with the Kenya Airways (KQ) management on a collective bargaining agreement after differing on how the airline should address its pilot shortage.

General-Secretary Murithi Nyagah in a letter to KQ’s outgoing Chief Executive Sebastian Mikosz, says the engagements had been halted until they engage in “fair and honest” talks.

“The Association hereby suspends participation in CBA negotiations due to gross violations of the CBA and the lack of goodwill thereof from management,” said Captain Nyagah.

He also notified Kalpa members that the union had filed a dispute in court after the talks collapsed.

“CBA negotiations will remain suspended until such a time we feel we are engaging in a fair and honest industrial climate. To this end the executive council is left with no choice but to declare a trade dispute at the Ministry of Labour,” said the letter dated October 14.

The airline, which has been losing Sh5.18 billion ($50 million) annually as a result of the shortage of pilots has been operating with 435 pilots.

The current number of pilots based on its fleets is 435 against a requirement of 497 pilots, resulting in a deficit of 62 pilots, according to the airline’s director of operations Paul Njoroge.

Forty-four of these pilots are also undergoing training due to the current promotion policy.

To bridge the pilot’s deficit, the airline has insisted on hiring 20 pilots for the Boeing 737 planes despite opposition from the union.