All trade unions attached to SriLankan Airlines on Wednesday expressed their solidarity to the management of the Airline, in supporting the restructuring efforts initiated by the Government under the supervision of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) unit attached to the Ministry of Finance.
This was expressed by the representatives of the trade unions when they met the Chairman SriLankan, Ajith Dias, CEO Capt. Suren Ratwatte together with senior management of the airline and the Chairman, National Agency for the Public Private Partnership, ThilanWijesingheon on December 5.
At the meeting, the representatives of the trade unions comprising the Airline Pilots Guild, Flight Attendant Union(FAU), Licensed Aircraft Engineers, Technicians, Executive Association, SLNS, JSS and the Engineers Guild expressed their fullest support to the management on its restructuring efforts. The securing of the future of the national carrier was acknowledged to be of paramount importance, irrespective of the professional or political affiliations of the unions.
At the meeting the Chairman SriLankan Airlines outlined the present financial status of the Airline and how the accumulated liabilities of the Airline are making an adverse impact on the country’s economy.
He also explained that the government restructuring initiatives are led by the PPP Unit of the Ministry of Finance with the help of the consultants from the aviation industry.
Accordingly, the government had set up a special Ministerial Committee headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Finance and Mass Media, Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Special Assignments, (Dr.) Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation NimalSiripala de Silva, Minister of Public Enterprise Development Kabir Hashim,and Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama.
The Ministerial Committee is assisted by an Officials Committee headed by the Secretary to the Treasury Dr. R. H. S. Samaratunga, and consists of Secretary to the Ministry of Public Enterprise Development Ravindra Hewavitharana, Chairmanof the National Agency for Public Private Partnership (Convenor) Thilan Wijesinghe, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media, Mano Tittawella, Director to the Ministry of Public Enterprise Development, Dr. Roshan Perera, Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines.
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