The general strike of workers at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was not an unplanned and sudden episode, but something that had been announced and in the air for more than a month and already postponed twice, pending a confrontation with the government by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU). The union represents about 16,000 airport employees, most of whom are employed in Nairobi.
The strike is not for the purpose of negotiating new salaries, or protesting about working conditions or anything else, but emerged as a ‘last resort’ of the unions in order to be involved in the discussions on the ventilated contract that would be signed by the government with the Indian company Adani Group, to which the Kenyan capital's airport would be ceded for 30 years in management, in exchange for a robust settlement and an expansion and modernisation project for the structure. In return, in addition to income from the airport itself, taxes, parking and rents, Adani would also be granted adjoining land to develop building and residential projects.
In principle, for a country with debts up to its neck, there would be nothing strange and, unfortunately, nothing wrong with handing over public facilities so that they can function better, but the workers' question is pertinent, having read the terms of the contract for the drafting of which they were not even made to sit at the negotiating table, nor were they called to public participation, as should have been the case with all citizens.

RISK OF REDUNDANCIES

In the contract, Adani reserves the right to dismiss employees, rediscuss the terms and conditions of contracts, hire foreign staff and more.
The fear of mass redundancies is tangible and the company's actions, judging by its management of Indian airports, including that of Mumbai, evidently do not convince the unions.
Nor do the profit motive of a private company as opposed to a public service convince them, even more so of the Indian colossus, which has long been under the thumb of the judiciary in its own country.
In short, a situation that, if it seems inevitable, has been handled in the worst possible way, by not involving the workers at all, but not too much public opinion either. So much so that the Kenyan High Court has already moved, at the request of the Law Society (LSK) and human rights organisations, temporarily blocking the agreement which, if indeed already signed, as the media claim, would lead the state not only to forfeit secure revenues (which will end up where?) but to have to pay hefty penalties to the Adani Group.

LACK OF DIALOGUE

This is why there is an urgent need for immediate dialogue between the two sides and more willingness on the part of the government to hear the voice of its people. Which was done by suspending the financial law after the youth street protests last June. On the one hand, a great victory for democracy, on the other, a dangerous precedent for the government: now anyone, legitimately or not, feels authorised to take to the streets or cross their arms to demand their alleged rights, and this risks bringing the nation, already grappling with a crisis of worrying proportions, to a halt.