The COTU Kenya Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, has warned the government of an alleged plan to replace Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) workers with National Youth Service (NYS) personnel ahead of the aviation workers' strike.
In a statement issued on Friday, July 24, Atwoli reaffirmed COTU's full support for the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), which opposed the deployment of the paramilitary officers to offer services at various aviation facilities in place of its workers.
This is after reports that the NYS graduates would be posted to perform security and screening functions in Kenya's airports.
The Secretary General accused the government of trying to replace the staff hired on permanent and pensionable terms with cheap labour.
"Workers performing permanent and continuous functions should be employed on permanent terms and conditions of service. It is immoral and illegal for a government institution to outsource or substitute permanent employment with low-cost labour arrangements that weaken labour standards and threaten existing jobs," he stated.
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Atwoli demanded that KCAA reach out to KAWU and engage in meaningful social dialogue regarding any proposed staffing changes.
He made it clear that he did not have reservations about hiring NYS personnel but questioned whether there was a genuine need to recruit them given the already existing aviation workers.
Atwoli demanded that they should be recruited under the right terms that ensure them employment security, fair remuneration and the full protection of Kenya's labour laws.
The COTU-K SG warned public institutions against replacing their staff who are on permanent and pensionable employment terms with others in a bid to cut costs.
"We call upon all public employers to refrain from replacing permanent workers with insecure forms of labour solely as a cost-cutting measure," the statement continued.
He added that COTU (K) stands firmly with KAWU and all aviation workers in defending decent work, employment security and the integrity of Kenya's public service.
Last week, the Union issued a seven-day strike notice over the consistent violation of labour agreements by four employers.
KAWU Secretary General Moses Ndiema confirmed that the strike will involve staff employed by the KCAA, Kenya Airways, Kenya Airports Authority and Jambojet.
Ndiema accused the four organisations of persistently violating the collective bargaining agreements signed between the institutions and their workers. He further warned that failure to address their concerns would lead to disruption in the aviation industry.
