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SriLankan Airlines inked a collective bargaining pact with its cabin crew endings months of hard bargaining, which included a lightening strike in May.



SriLankan Airlines inked a collective bargaining pact with its cabin crew endings months of hard bargaining, which included a lightening strike in May. The national carrier's 650 strong unionised cabin crew, took just under two years to agree on the new pact which spells out salary agreements, career progression, training, allowances and leave entitlements.

The airline earlier individually signed up cabin crew under a 'terms and conditions agreement', which gave a seven percent pay hike.

The agreement ended in May 31, 2002, but both parties played hardball before a settlement was reached this week.

In May, the SriLankan Airlines Flight Attendants Union said the earlier agreement gave them a seven percent hike and sought 'a substantial increase in pay and working conditions'.

The unions claimed that their starting salary was Rs.

9,000 which reached to Rs. 20,000 only after twenty years of service.





Cabin crews are also given a US$ 75 subsistence, which they claim was insufficient to cover liv