Close to 900 Sri Lankan Airlines staffers have been sent on no-pay leave according to its Chairman, Ashok Pathirage. Addressing a media briefing yesterday Pathirage said the Airline has reduced staff due to the implications of the Covid 19 pandemic on the business. “However it will not be permanently,” he said adding that 900 employees have been removed temporarily. Among them are 407 contracted staff. “The other 500 outsourced staff” he added.
“The situation must be understood. We do not require this number of staff with the airports empty” he pointed out. According to Pathirage even after the reduction Sri Lankan Airlines continues to be overstaffed.
However, all permanent employees have been retained. “But there have been salary reductions,” he said.
Sri Lankan Airlines suffered major losses in the past. The Sri Lankan Airbus deal worth Rs. 290 Billion which fell through cost the Airlines USD 26 million and another USD 115 million in cancellation fees. Corruption at the Airlines was revealed through the Auditor-Generals report and the Weliamuna report.
