The planned deployment of National Youth Service (NYS) personnel to undertake duties traditionally performed by permanent aviation workers has drawn sharp opposition from the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya) (COTU-K).
In a statement on July 24, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli said the labour federation stands in solidarity with the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) over reports that the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) plans to deploy NYS personnel to perform security and screening functions at airports while permanent positions remain vacant or are effectively being replaced.
According to the union, the move risks weakening labour standards and undermining job security in Kenya’s aviation sector.
COTU Backs Permanent Recruitment
COTU said it is not opposed to the employment of graduates from the National Youth Service programme but insisted that they should be recruited into permanent and pensionable positions through the normal public service recruitment process.
“COTU (K) wishes to make it unequivocally clear that we are not opposed to the employment of young men and women who have successfully completed the National Youth Service programme. On the contrary, we strongly support their integration into the labour market,” stated COTU.
The federation argued that where there is a genuine need for additional staff, KCAA should recruit NYS graduates into permanent positions based on the applicable recruitment procedures and qualifications rather than deploying them under arrangements that deny them employment security, fair remuneration and the protection of Kenya’s labour laws.
Also Read: How Ruto Convinced Atwoli to Allow Payslip Raid on Employed Kenyans
Union Warns Against Replacing Permanent Workers
The labour movement stated that employees performing permanent and continuous functions should be engaged on permanent terms and conditions of service.
“It is immoral and illegal for a government institution to outsource or substitute permanent employment with low-cost labour arrangements that weaken labour standards and threaten existing jobs,” Atwoli said.
COTU warned that replacing permanent workers with insecure labour arrangements would erode workers’ rights and set a dangerous precedent across the public sector.
Calls for Dialogue
The federation called on the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to immediately engage the Kenya Aviation Workers Union through meaningful social dialogue before implementing any staffing changes.
At the same time, it urged all public employers to refrain from replacing permanent employees with insecure forms of labour as a cost-cutting measure.
“COTU (K) stands firmly with KAWU and all aviation workers in defending decent work, employment security and the integrity of Kenya’s public service. The Government, and by extension all public institutions, must lead by example in protecting labour standards and not in promoting cheap labour at the expense of Kenyan workers,” the statement added.
Also Read: Govt Pressed to Immediately Gazette New Salaries After Dispute Over Ruto Directive
Aviation Workers Accuse NYS of Taking Their Jobs
COTU’s statement comes as tensions continue to rise in the aviation sector following a strike threat issued by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) over a raft of unresolved labour disputes.
On July 23, KAWU warned that workers drawn from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Airways (KQ) and Jambojet would proceed with a nationwide strike unless employers addressed their grievances before the expiry of the union’s strike notice.
The union said industrial action could significantly disrupt passenger and cargo operations at airports across the country, including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Among the issues raised by KAWU is the alleged deployment of National Youth Service (NYS) personnel to perform airport security and screening duties, which the union says should remain the responsibility of permanent civilian aviation workers. According to KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema, NYS personnel have already been deployed to JKIA, Lokichoggio, Kisumu, Lodwar and Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
The union insisted that it is not opposed to employing NYS graduates but argues that qualified recruits should be hired directly by KCAA on permanent and pensionable terms rather than through what it describes as insecure labour arrangements.
KAWU also questioned reports that KCAA intends to procure NYS services at KSh45,000 per officer per month, alleging that individual officers would receive only KSh5,000, and called for greater transparency over the arrangement.
Beyond the NYS deployment, KAWU says KCAA employees have gone for more than 11 years without a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) or salary review, while also accusing employers in the aviation sector of frustrating collective bargaining, victimizing union members and failing to implement court orders on employment matters.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
