Pilots Guild Wants SriLankan Airlines To Continue Its Fraud

February 24, 2016 

The Airline Pilots Guild of Sri Lanka wants SriLankan Airlines to continue its unlawful EPF/ETF and tax scam.

Over the years SriLankan Airlines has been paying flying meal allowances in the billions of rupees annually to both its pilots and cabin crew at overseas hotels for long trips and locally for short trips which is not highlighted in their salary slips.

Neither the pilots or cabin crew have paid taxes for these monies received, despite the Flight Attendants Union (FAU) demanding that the airline’s management make EPF/ETF contributions for flying meal allowances received.

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When Colombo Telegraph contacted Inland Revenue Department official Mahinda Gunaweera, he said “a thorough investigation ought to be carried out in this regard if the details exposed by Colombo Telegraph were true”.

Writing to the President of the Flight Attendants Union Adrian Cramer, the President of the Airline Pilots Guild of Sri Lanka Capt Renuke Senanayake asked ” This is a payment, made to all employees of the Company; from the Chairman down, when on duty travel. Kindly enlighten us as to what gave you the right to jeopardize this earning for all of us”.

The head of the Human Resources, Pradeepa Kekulawala had responded to the FAU’s letter of demand, Colombo Telegraph has learnt

Kekulawala in a strongly worded reply had informed the FAU that the company would be more than happy to provide the existing meals on board for the crew and have them consume food in the hotel overseas and sign for it.This will be in lieu of having to make flying meal allowance payments and also having to incur further costs such as making EPF/ETF payments on top of that to the pilots and cabin crew.

However Kekulawala’s reply did not dispute the fact that EPF/ETF contributions should have been made all these years.

“Kekulawala’s suggestion if implemented is certainly going to uplift our loss making airline, as we could then go on to negotiate better room rates for the pilots and crew stays overseas. This is a huge cost to the airline annually and negotiating an all inclusive full board rate / deal would save millions of dollars throughout the entire network ” said a manager of the the airline’s In Flight Service Department.

We publish below the email sent by the President of the APGSL Capt Renuke Senanayake to the President of the FAU Adrian Cramer in full:                          Read More