Garuda Indonesia Fires Pilot, Ministry Of BUMN Leave It To Company Management

Garuda Indonesia aircraft. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Garuda Indonesia airline is currently accelerating the completion of contracts for pilots or pilots with the status of a certain time contract employee (PKWT). This is done as an ongoing step that needs to be taken in an effort to harmonize the availability and demand for flight operations during the early days of COVID-19.

Special Staff of the Minister of BUMN Arya Sinulingga spoke up on this matter. He emphasized that the Ministry of BUMN has fully submitted the decision on employee status to the management of Garuda Indonesia.

Even so, Arya asked Garuda Indonesia to calculate the impact of COVID-19 both in terms of business and company management. He acknowledged that the impact of this pagebluk was very large for the company and caused Garuda Indonesia to carry out efficiency. So the company has to make difficult decisions.

"We leave it to the management of Garuda Indonesia to calculate the impact of COVID-19, the consequences for its business, including the efficiencies made so that Garuda Indonesia can survive and operate. Surely they have choices, even though it is difficult," he said, in the video. conference with journalists, Tuesday, June 2.

Arya believes that any decision made by the state-owned airline must have gone through careful consideration.

"The decisions taken by Garuda Indonesia must be carefully thought out, both in business and management," he explained.

Keep Fulfilling Employee Rights Obligations

President Director of Garuda Indonesia, Irfaniaputra, said that basically the policy that Garuda Indonesia applies is the early settlement of employment contracts for employees with the pilot profession under a certain time working relationship.

However, Irfan emphasized, through the completion of the contract, Garuda Indonesia will continue to fulfill its obligations for the rights of pilots according to the valid contract period. He explained that the policy was carried out as an ongoing step that needed to be taken in an effort to harmonize the supply and demand for flight operations which were currently being affected due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"The policy is carried out with careful consideration while still paying attention to the rights of employees whose contracts are completed early," said Irfan, in an official statement received by VOI, Tuesday, June 2.

Irfan admits that this is a tough decision to make. However, he is confident that Garuda Indonesia will continue to survive and that the company's operational conditions will continue to improve and be conducive again so that it can go through a very challenging period for the current aviation industry.

However, Irfan was reluctant to reveal how many pilots had to be laid off due to COVID-19. "Not yet when it comes to numbers. We are partners. I will take care of it internally," he said when contacted by VOI.