Mihin employees worked 9 months without wages: PCoI

4 July 2018 11:21 pm - 11 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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One hundred employees, who were recruited to Mihin Lanka worked for nine months without salary, starting April 2008, retired Mihin Lanka employee Ingrid Catharine Guruge told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCol) on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka today.

Guruge is the retired Ground Handling Manager at Mihin Lanka (Pvt.) Limited.

During her testimony, she informed the Commission that the Mihin Lanka had wet-leased (When leasing the aircraft with the entire crew) two aircraft from Bulgaria and Turkey in 2007 and after the expiration of their contract period in 2008, the two aircraft left the country and they had to work without salary for nine months.

“Mihin Lanka did not have flights for nine months and we hoped the new management would solve this issue,” she told Commission.

She said that during the period the CEO of the Mihin Lanka was Sajin Vaas Gunawardena and after this situation, the management had changed and Anura Bandara was appointed as CEO of Mihin Lanka (Pvt) Limited.

She informed the Commission that the employees, who were above age 55, worked under SriLankan Airlines, had retired on a Voluntary Retirement Scheme and joined Mihin Lanka (Pvt) in 2006.

She also informed the Commission that the ground handling part at the Mihin Lanka was performed by the SriLankan Airlines.

“On December 31, 2007, the SriLankan Airlines had moved out from their services of ground handling and took the equipment due to non-payment for ground handling,” she said.

“On December 31, 2007, we had to face a serious situation. Due to SriLankan Airlines moving out from ground handling, the engineering staff of Mihin Lanka had to push out the one aircraft physically to the runaway. Also, we had cancelled several flights on that day,” she informed the Commission.

She also informed the Commission that after the above incident certain second-hand German manufactured ground handling equipment were purchased by Mihin Lanka for the purpose of self-handling but there was no separate trained staff to handle the equipment and subsequently it was also handled by the SriLankan Airlines.

During her testimony, she also informed the Commission that Mihin Lanka was incorporated as a Budget Airline but the management had used that as a commercial plan.

“Mihin Lanka had the duty free facilities, food served in the flights and they had charged a baggage allowance as well,” she said.

The witness also informed the Commission that after Mihin Lanka was liquidated most of the staff had been taken back to SriLankan Airlines and all twelve routes and three aircraft which were handled by Mihin were taken over by the SriLankan Airlines Management. (Yoshitha Perera)

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Comments - 11

Samanmalee Wednesday, 04 July 2018 11:48 PM

Mihin lanka was established so that a certain family and their cronies could plunder huge amounts go money.It has cost billions of rupees of tax payers money and never made even 1 rupee profit. For those in charge, mihin lanka went exactly to plan.

Bawanthi Wednesday, 04 July 2018 11:56 PM

Another corrupt individual who just woke up

Kamil Thursday, 05 July 2018 01:32 AM

What a sad and pathetic tale about Mihin Lanka which was set up to boost the ego of one dictator. Feel sorry about the pay less employees.

Ram Thursday, 05 July 2018 02:12 AM

A person working for 9 months without a salary surprises me. May be she received other perks, benefits, favours in lieu of salary.

observer Thursday, 05 July 2018 02:18 AM

It took 10 years to expose?.

Hans perlee Thursday, 05 July 2018 04:10 AM

I don't believe one word of it. working 9 month's without salary? nobody would be so crazy. sorry, I really don't believe one word of it

Jokes Thursday, 05 July 2018 05:57 AM

Ask MR or Guna. They have lot of rob money

Pradeep Thursday, 05 July 2018 06:04 AM

Where was our erstwhile media during this entire episode of mismanagement and economic blunder? Media cannot take cover under the blanket excuse that they were living in fear! Where were the unions?Something is stinking in this whole story of colossal loss of national wealth.

Arnold Thursday, 05 July 2018 06:11 AM

It should have been named Hitler Airlines.

Emil van der Poorten Thursday, 05 July 2018 06:25 AM

The real question is, "What action has been taken to ensure that Sajin Vaas Gunewardena is put behind bars for this monumental crime?"

SAM Thursday, 05 July 2018 04:14 PM

Can you please sent a full finance statement of all profits and losses from start to finish than giving pathetic stories about people working for 9 months without salaries please. If staff did not have salaries, where did they get the funds to start it into operational? A foreign company that was running with profits was taken over my the government and ruined it losing into billions. What a bunch of fools. Both the idiots as well as the public who are taxed for the blunder.

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Mihin employees worked 9 months without wages: PCoI

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