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Kenya airports union employees state they will strike over planned airport leasing

The biggest union of Kenya's aviation employees plans to go on strike on Wednesday to demonstration versus a proposed deal for India's Adani Group to lease the country's primary airport for 30 years in exchange for broadening it, a union authorities said on Tuesday.

WHY IT is necessary

Kenya's government has said the airport is running above capability and needs modernising however that it is not for sale and that no decision has been made on whether to continue with what it calls a proposed public-private collaboration to update the site.

It said in July that Adani's offer was being reviewed. If a. deal is concurred, the government said there would be safeguards to. ensure Kenya's national interests are secured.

KEY QUOTE

The strike starts at midnight, Moss Ndiema, secretary. general of the Kenya Air Travel Employee Union, which represents. airport employees, stated in a text message to Reuters.

CONTEXT

On Monday, a Kenyan court momentarily blocked the proposed. offer for Adani Group to lease the country's primary. airport for 30 years in exchange for broadening it.

In August, the aviation employees' union said the proposed. agreement, first revealed in July, would lead to task losses and. bring in non-Kenyan employees.

WHAT'S NEXT

The strike would likely impact operations of flights into. and out of Nairobi's primary Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Kenya television channel Citizen Tv reported that the. employees had already begun a go-slow at the main airport late. on Tuesday.

THE RESPONSE

Spokespeople at the Kenya Airports Authority, which runs. airports countrywide, were not right away readily available to comment. on the planned strike.

(source: Reuters)