A planned nationwide strike by aviation workers has been stopped for now after the Employment and Labour Relations Court issued temporary orders barring the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) from going ahead with the industrial action.
The ruling, which followed separate applications by Kenya Airways and Jambojet, means flights will continue operating as the labour dispute is determined in court.
The two airlines separately moved to court after KAWU announced on July 20 that its members would begin a nationwide strike once its seven-day notice expired.
In separate decisions, the court certified both applications as urgent and issued temporary orders stopping the union, its officials, members and affected employees from calling, encouraging or taking part in any industrial action until the matters are heard.
The court scheduled the Jambojet case for hearing on July 29, 2026, while the Kenya Airways case will be heard on September 29, 2026. KAWU was also directed to file its responses before the hearing dates.
The temporary orders ensure that normal flight operations continue while both disputes remain before the court.
“That the respondent, its officials and the claimant’s employees who are respondent’s members are hereby restrained from participating in industrial action whatsoever pursuant to the strike notice dated 20th July, 2026 pending the inter-partes hearing of the application,” the court said in the Kenya Airways case.
During the proceedings, the court heard that KAWU issued a seven-day strike notice dated July 20, notifying the airlines that workers would down their tools after the notice expired on July 24.
Kenya Airways, however, argued that although the notice was served on July 20, it had been backdated to July 17.
In its application, Jambojet said the union justified the planned strike by claiming the airline had failed to sign a recognition agreement, had targeted union members and was paying employees less than those working for Kenya Airways.
The airline argued that the planned industrial action could not lawfully proceed because the issue of union recognition is already before the court.
“Considering the issue of recognition is pending determination by the court, the claimant and respondent do not have a recognition agreement. Consequently, the respondent lacks legal standing to issue a strike notice on behalf of the claimant’s employees as there is no foundation for collective or industrial action until the court determines the matter of recognition,” Jambojet said.
Jambojet further told the court that KAWU has no authority to represent its employees and had not identified the workers it claimed were being victimised because of their union membership.
“In any event, the claimant categorically denies that any employees are being targeted. The claimant further maintains that it has the managerial prerogative to manage its affairs and enforce work discipline,” Jambojet added.
The airline maintained that the union had no legal basis to interfere with how it manages its operations, describing the planned strike as an unlawful interference with its affairs.
Court papers also show that KAWU wrote to Jambojet on July 10, 2026, demanding that employees dismissed between 2025 and 2026 be reinstated.
Jambojet denied the allegations, saying the affected employees lost their jobs because of gross misconduct and not because they belonged to the union.
The airline also dismissed claims that its workers receive lower pay than employees at Kenya Airways.
“The claimant is a distinct and independent entity from Kenya Airways Plc operating under a distinct business model, operational framework, and employment structure,” Jambojet added.