The Kenya Aviation Workers Union have reportedly taken an issue with the proposed deal in which Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) will develop Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) airport.
As a part of the protest, the Union has called for a strike from early next week with demands of scrapping the deal altogether.
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The Union has claimed in its seven-day strike notice that the deal is unlawful and that it will lead to Kenyan workers losing their jobs.
As a response to the notice, the Kenyan government has clarified that the deal is not a sales deal to Adani but it is a public-private partnership to modernise the airport.
Union's secretary general, Moss Ndiema has clarified his stance by stating that the Union will reconsider its decision to engage in industrial action only if the AAHL deal is abandoned in its entirety.
Meanwhile, the airport authority is hoping for a peaceful negotiation with the workers as a walkout is likely to cause severe disruptions to air travel plans of hundreds of passengers, airlines as well as airport management.
Experts believe that the deal is lacking transparency and can lead to full-blown strike if not handled carefully.
Many of the Kenyan aviation experts have raised concerns on the deal citing answers to questions like:
* What was the compelling urgency for this project now?
* Will Adanis' take over the airport debt too?
As per the JKIA authority, the airport modernisation plan will need approximately $2 billion as the airport was currently stretched beyond its capacity of 7.5 million passenger and is in urgent need of improvement.
The Kenyan government further added that it could not afford to fund the project due to tight financial condition.
The Adani Airport Holding had submitted an investment proposal for the development of JKIA in the last week of July 2024.
AAHL manages seven airports in India and is also developing the Navi Mumbai airport. As a part of the deal, AAHL will add a second runway at JKIA and upgrade the passenger terminal.
Published: 13 Aug 2024, 09:22 am IST
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