National carrier urges pilots to call off strike action

SriLankan Airlines on Thursday urged pilots to call off a strike action saying their grievance is being addressed.

In a statement, the national carrier vehemently condemned the “untimely and selfish actions” of the Airline Pilots’ Guild (ALPG).

Earlier the ALPG has asked its members to refrain from consenting to report to work on rostered off-days by refusing the duty call or being unresponsive to calls from the company, putting forward a demand that there should be a proper treatment centre for pilots who contract COVID-19.

“The Board and the Management of the airline are thoroughly disappointed that one segment of the airline’s employees is intentionally undermining the efforts of the rest of the committed and valuable employees of the company and the determination of the Government of Sri Lanka. Jointly, the Board, Management and dedicated employees of the Airline vehemently condemn these untimely and selfish actions of the ALPG. The grievance of the ALPG is that the airline provides them with a dedicated treatment facility for members who test positive for COVID-19,” the statement said.

The airline said it has requested such a facility from the relevant authorities and is hopeful that a facility would be made available soon. 

The airline said that it has had to cope with unprecedented revenue losses owing to the reduced number of flights being operated, namely for repatriation of fellow citizens and transportation of essential goods including medical supplies.

The airline has been adopting ad-hoc flight schedules due to the pandemic in addition to responding swiftly to the needs of the Government in relation to repatriation of Sri Lankans and the transportation of cargo as and when required. This necessitates all employees of the airline to report to work on short notice in accordance with the guidelines stipulated by authorities for the prevention of COVID-19. The precautionary measures taken, and the required personal protective equipment always provided by the airline have protected the employees when they were on duty.