Union objects as Kenya Airways plans to lay off staff in restructuring

Kenya Airways plans to send home some of its workers as its nationalisation starts in the next few days. The airline’s acting CE Allan Kilavuka in a memo to staff last week said the layoffs and restructuring “is part of Operation Pride turnaround programme”, KQ’s chosen route to profitability. “Roles will change; some may be enriched while others are merged. I also want to be clear that as difficult as it is, some roles will disappear altogether, resulting in redundancies,” said Kilavuka in the letter to employees. Kilavuka has, however, pledged to make the planned redundancy humane “and will involve relevant stakeholders as required by the law. The Kawu Union says sending workers home will not address the “perennial financial malady currently facing the carrier.” <br/>