Kenya Airways: Militant unions – the bane of business

A year older but not a shred wiser and – who knows, perhaps still tipsy from the New Year’s champagne intake – the Kenya Airline Pilots Association, in short KALPA, has once again shown that they are utterly incapable of dealing with reality. News from Nairobi suggests that the rabid union leadership has now stooped to new lows when they demanded that the management of national airline, Kenya Airways, be dissolved within seven days, or, as usual, “else,” suggesting they are spoiling for another round of slow goes and strikes by making demands way beyond their brief.

What business of a pilots’ union it is to demand such things is of course beyond most to comprehend, as they in turn, should for instance the airline demand that the pilots union leadership step down, be met with howls of hyped-up outrage. It has often been said in the past that the union’s behavior and demands are in part responsible for the substantially higher operational cost incurred by Kenya Airways, compared for instance with rival, Ethiopian, which has no such issues with troublesome militants as found in the offices of KALPA.

“Demands like all board members to step down are once again making the union a laughing stock among the aviation industry. How can anyone take these chaps seriously? Directors are elected or not elected at the annual general meeting. Maybe KALPA should buy shares in Kenya Airways? Then they would be able to attend AGM’s and use the proper platform to talk to those who own the company. It is simply not within the purview of a union to make such demands and if KALPA thinks that is in order, they need their heads examined. I think they are preparing the ground for more financial demands, which of course will probably make the airline’s financial situation even worse. As you say, maybe it is time for their leaders to step aside and make space for better educated, better informed and economically better trained individuals. Militancy is not what Kenya’s aviation industry needs from a pilots union because they are completely out of tune with reality,” ranted a regular aviation source from Nairobi when passing the information on about KALPA’s latest shenanigans. Shame on KALPA to bring the noble ideals of trade unionism into such disrepute with their ongoing irresponsible statements and demands.