Ethiopian Airlines has decided to cut off temporary employees while sending permanent workers on mandatory leave to reduce salary burden during the Covid-19 crisis.
The Airline which is the biggest in Africa had earlier promised to source revenue from different sources that included increasing cargo flights and flight maintenance services to cushion itself from the impact of Covid-19 but the focus has now shifted to employees.
A letter addressed to all the employees read that all employees were required to stop reporting to work until normal operations are resumed.
Some employees have been asked to go for mandatory but unpaid leaves while others are going for mandatory but paid leaves.
“The company does not opt for the termination of your employment contract by now and rather we found it plausible to grant you annual leave and leave without pay for a specified duration,” the Airline said.
Those sent for mandatory leaves are asked to take all their annual leaves with an additional 90 days of going without pay or consider themselves unemployed.
“Hence, as per our discussion and consensus reached thereof you are hereby granted 90 consecutive days of leave without pay which will be in effect from April 03, 2020, to July 2nd, 2020 after you exhaust all accrued and prorated vacation days,” the letter read.
“Most of us are being forced to agree to a three-month leave without any payment with little option,” said a hostess working for the Airlines.
“If we don’t agree, we have been warned that would be considered as if we have abandoned our jobs at our own will and there will be no employment guarantee once the crisis is over.”
The Airline, however, stated that only contract employees have been laid off after a consensual agreement between the airlines and the employment agencies.
The Airline custodians and support staff are recruited by agencies while the crew members are employed directly by the Airline.