Kenya Airways sends home 86 per cent of its Nigerian workers

david nganga

April 17, 2018 10:51 AM

The airline has appointed a general sales agent (GSA) to handle its commercial operations in the market

Reports indicate that the affected staff were issued the disengagement letters at the airline’s office in Lagos in the presence of stern looking police officers who were engaged by the airline to 'scare them away' and prevent possible breakdown of law and order.

Only four of its Nigerian staff are retained by the management of the airline after the purge. Those retained are Country Manager, Afeez Balogun, the station manager, and two other staff.

The airline is understood to have appointed a general sales agent (GSA) to handle its commercial operations and customer service in that market.

A GSA is a firm to which an airline delegates authority to represent it for purposes of overseeing sales in a defined territory. It is paid a commission.

Labour laws

Sources indicate that the abrupt sack did not take into consideration the Nigeria labour laws, which kicks against unilateral decision by employers when disengaging workers.

General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Olayinka Abioye, said on Monday that the union was unimpressed with the shabby treatment meted to Nigerian employees by the airline.

“The union has already reported the issue to several top agencies of government. We are consulting with the staff now before we plan our next line of industrial action.

He insisted that the sack of the workers was illegal especially at a time the management had reached an agreement to implement some of the reviewed conditions of service for the workers.

david nganga