Pilots’ Guild claims UL Chairman’s callous attitude puts national carrier at risk

Airline Pilots’ Guild of Sri Lanka (ALPGSL) yesterday charged that SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage’s callous attitude had put the national carrier at risk. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic which brought the global aviation industry to a grinding halt early in 2020 still casts a shadow on international travel and logistics. SriLankan Airlines was severely affected due to the drastic drop in passenger movements, but throughout the turbulent past 16 months the fraternity of pilots and the rest of the company did their utmost to keep the airplanes flying although it entailed working on off-days, annual leave, and working without entitled allowances and benefits all while undergoing an illegal pay cut,” ALPGSL said in a statement.

“These actions were endured by the employees, owing to the understanding they had concerning the precarious state the company was in, and though the company was brazen and arrogant in their approach, the SriLankan family stood in solidarity and supported the cause,” it added. 

ALPGSL said at present, when the situation of the company has improved, the short-sighted decisions of the management may adversely affect the operation of the airline. From check-in counters, all the way to flight crew, a dearth of employees was stretching the airline to its limits. Already, some flights were delayed due to a shortage of staff at check-in counters. There was a shortage of flight crew, and the only reason the airline’s schedule was kept undisrupted was because of the sacrifices made by the pilots and staff who went above and beyond their duties while not being paid their dues. When these discrepancies were taken up with the Chairman in the recent past, his callous attitude towards the employees was made clear. 

“A meeting was called by the Chairman this month, where the employees were informed that their full salaries will be reinstated. This seems to be in response to legal action taken against the company regarding the illegal nature of the pay cut that has been taking place over the last year and a half. However, other allowances and entitlements which were removed have not been reinstated. The losses that SriLankan Airlines could incur in the long run due to a disrupted schedule are incalculable, and it is regretful that it would be solely due to the arrogance of the management towards its staff,” it stated. 

“The Chairman even went as far as stating that pilots can seek employment elsewhere if they are unhappy with the management. Adding to the injustice, the company is refusing to pay newly checked out captains their due salaries and entitlements, and expects them to fly as the pilot in command of a commercial aircraft, taking on all the responsibilities entailed therein but be paid the salary of a first officer, which is the rank they held prior to taking up the appointment as commander.”

“When the pandemic was raging in 2020, the pilot fraternity did not hesitate to take the national carrier to any destination that was required of them, regardless of the threat it posed to themselves and their families, even if it meant they had to remain in isolation in their own homes,” the ALPGSL statement added.