Metro

Striking Kenya Airways pilots call off industrial action

Published

1 year ago

November 9, 2022

Kenya Airways pilots who embarked on a strike last Saturday to press home they demands for improved conditions of service, have called off their industrial action after four days.

The strike which was called by the Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (KAPLA) after the airlines management had failed to meet an ultimatum given by the union, was called off on Wednesday morning following a ruling on Tuesday by the Employment and Labour Relations Court which ordered the pilots to resume work.

Labour Relations Court judge Anna Mwaure in her ruling, had written in an order:

“The Kenya Airways pilots are to resume their duties as pilots by 6:00 am on November 9, 2022, unconditionally.”

Announcing the end of the strike in s statement jointly signed by KALPA Chairman, Captain Timothy Njoroge, and Secretary-General, Murithi Nyagah, the union said it was withdrawing from the strike and urged their members to resume duty on November 9, 2022, at 6 am.

“Members are also urged to report to the Executive Council any incident of victimisation or disciplinary action that may be taken contrary to the court’s orders,” the statement said.

The pilots association apologised to passengers and said they regretted the disruption and inconvenience to KQ guests and urged their members to immediately restore normalcy to operations.

The strike which had paralysed activities at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport had seen more than 15,000 passengers stranded while the airlines management had threatened to sack the striking pilots if they failed to go back to work.

Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO, Allan Kilavuka, who welcomed the court’s decision, wrote on the airline’s website:

“We thank the court for the expeditious ruling that now allows KQ to resume its normal operations. We commit to complying with the court’s directions.”

Kenyan Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, who also welcomed the court order, urged the airline not to victimise any pilot who took part in the strike.

“The past four days have been difficult for Kenya’s aviation industry due to the strike by the Kenya Airline Pilot Association (Kalpa). We convey our sincere apologies to travellers and cargo customers affected by the strike,” he said in a statement.

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Metro

‘Cyber Act fails to protect the vulnerable,’ Student demands media inclusivity for persons with disabilities

Published

12 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Peter Libila, a student at Icof University’s Chipata campus, highlights the lack of awareness among individuals with disabilities and those residing in rural areas about their digital rights, resulting in limited access to media platforms for free expression.

Libila underscored the marginalization of people with disabilities in discussions on community development, leading to their exclusion from voicing their perspectives.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor in Eastern Province, Libila discussed the discrimination and stigma faced by individuals with disabilities in the media landscape.

Read More: Differently-abled person speaks on challenges impacting freedom of expression in rural areas

“Persons with disabilities are often overlooked when it comes to community developments,” he emphasized.

Moreover, as someone with a physical disability, Libala pointed out shortcomings in the Cybersecurity Act which failed to adequately address online barriers to freedom of expression.

“The act fails to ensure online safety for all; it only offers protection to certain groups while neglecting others,” he asserted.

He stressed the importance of bridging these gaps to foster inclusivity within the media.

“There’s a lack of sign language interpreters in most media outlets, which poses challenges for the deaf community,” he observed.

Libila also emphasized the necessity of providing braille reading materials and writing tools for individuals who are blind.

“Even basic resources like braille books are often unavailable for the blind,” he lamented.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

All my tough policy decisions are in Nigerians’ interest— Tinubu

Published

17 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has insisted that all his tough policy decisions and reforms have been taken with the interest of Nigerians at heart.

Tinubu, who made the assertion in Hague, The Netherlands, during the business session of the bilateral meeting with the Dutch team led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, insisted that though some of the policies had brought hardship on Nigerian masses, he was not afraid to implement more of such policies as they would yield positive results in the end.

“I am a determined leader of my people. I am ever ready to take tough decisions in the best interest of the people, even if with initial pains,” Tinubu said.

“I have and will continue to take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is short-term pain.

“We have gone through the worst of the storms. I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.

“The Nigerian naira is one of the world’s best-performing currencies today.

“We took the necessary risk, and all resilient Nigerians kept faith with us.

“They will be rewarded, and the reward will only be greater as we partner effectively with you on new opportunities for development.

“As leaders, we must make decisions for the benefit of our nations, and we cannot shy away from that.”

The President also noted that symbiotic economic ties remain the best long-term path to sustainable and mutual prosperity rather than one-sided relationships in which bilateral trade is skewed too much in one direction.