Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua yesterday urged the Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union (KAWU) to suspend a strike they have slated for Monday to allow dialogue while grievances are addressed.

Mutua who met with oofiials of the trade union said the government was committed towards addressing the issues raised by workers revealing that the workers would next week have a meeting with Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir.

“I have committed to mediating between the aviation workers, the Ministry of Transport, the Kenya Airports Authority, and Kenya Airways to address the issues raised by the union. I strongly urge all unions in the country to refrain from making strike action their first recourse in resolving disputes. We should strive to give dialogue a chance first, especially as many of us in the Cabinet are still settling into our new roles following recent changes in government,” said Mutua.

KAWU called on the government to scrap what it referred to as the “unlawful” intended sale of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Adani Airport Holdings of India.

The union said the proposed agreement announced last month with India’s Adani Airport Holdings would lead to job losses and bring in non-Kenyan workers.

“We shall reconsider our intention to engage in industrial action … only if the Adani Airport Holdings Limited’s deal is abandoned in its entirety,” Kenya Aviation Workers Union Secretary General Moses Ndiema said in the strike notice.

The union said the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has not yet conducted proper public participation on the proposal by the Indian conglomerate to acquire a 30-year concession period which includes a new runway, terminal and refurbish existing infrastructure at the aerodrome.

“We have never been involved as a union and as representatives of the workers, further this deal will lead to a lot of job losses” said Ndiema.

The move has led to broadening the calls for resignation of top KAA officials who are allegedly supporting the Adani deal. KAWU, insists there is mischief in the deal and the government is insincere, accusing the management of KAA of orchestrating the lease, and calling for their resignation.

According to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Adani Airport Holdings submitted a Privately Initiated Proposal as per the Public Private Partnership Act in March this year, with the proposals currently being scrutinized.

JKIA which was constructed in 1978 has outpaced its capacity of 7.5 million passengers annually to the current 8.6 million. The government has been considering a PPP model to aid in the construction of the facility which is projected to handle at least 30 million passengers annually within the next three decades.