Kenya Airways in standoff with aggrieved pilots

The management and pilots of Kenya Airways have reached a standoff after negotiations on how to address a pilots’ shortage hit a snag. The pilots, who threatened to take industrial action, seek govt intervention to resolve the dispute. The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (Kalpa) has suspended talks with management over a collective bargaining agreement after engaging in a heated debate over the airline’s attempt to hire 20 pilots on a contract basis to fly Boeing 737s. Kenya Airways pilots now seek a govt-appointed mediator to arbitrate, insisting that failure to resolve the labour standoff will lead to a halt in operations. Monday the pilots association sent a letter to Labour cabinet secretary Ukur Yatani accusing airline management of breaching sections of the current pilot contract. <br/>