The issue of pregnant flight hostesses

SriLankan has temporarily transferred or granted 18 months paid leave to around 80 pregnant flight hostesses after the airline had to amend a company rule clause that would have hostesses fired if they became pregnant within the first three years of employment.

The airline's former Human Resources Division Chief Pradeepa Kekulawala said they had to amend the relevant clause on humanitarian grounds, but they soon found the new process was adding to the financial burden of the company.

“We didn’t allow pregnant air hostesses to continue work because of health reasons, and because the profession doesn’t have crews with tummies,” Mr. Kekulawala remarked snidely. “But we changed this due to humane reasons and now grant them 18 months paid leave or temporary transfers.”

Senior State Counsel Fazly Razik pointed out that the company changed this clause after it was threatened with strike action by the Flight Attendant’s Union ( FAU). Refuting his point, Mr. Kekulawala said, “I was instrumental in the change. Yes, Siddharth Dedigama, the then president of the union, met me and discussed it, but we didn’t readily agree. In any collective agreement, there is a give and take, and union threats are nothing new.”

Mr. Kekulawala denied allegations made by senior flight stewardess Yasanga de Alwis who appeared before the commission last month. Ms de Alwis told the commission that when she became pregnant, she was forced to resign by Mr. Kekulawala who was imposing his personal views claiming they were company policy ( Sunday Times report April 21). She also claimed that some air hostesses were forced to undergo abortions for fear of losing their jobs.

To this, Mr. Kekulawala retorted, “If that is the case why did she not disclose the employees' names, at least on camera to the commission? She can’t make unfounded claims! To my knowledge, nothing of that sort happened.”

Mr. Razik asked the witness how he would know this and if flight attendants told him every time they underwent abortions. The Commission Chairman, retired Supreme Court Justice Anil Gooneratne, intervened to state that the commission was in possession of the facts as well as both sides of the story and that it would make a judgment of what was true.

Pregnant female pilots were never fired or asked to resign, said Mr. Kekulawala reasoning this was “because historically there were only a few female pilots employed”.