The persistent delays experienced by SriLankan Airlines have raised concerns regarding the timely deployment of workers to South Korea, according to Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara.

The issue came to light when SriLankan Airlines flight UL 470, scheduled to transport a group of workers for Korean jobs, experienced a delay of approximately 12 hours, resulting in the workers being unable to reach their destination as planned.

The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau had made all the necessary preparations for the 800th group of workers to depart for employment in South Korea. Among them, 52 individuals were scheduled to work in the fishing industry. However, due to the prolonged delay of the SriLankan Airlines flight, the Korean Human Resources Department informed the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau that the workers should not be sent to Korea on that day.

This incident follows a similar occurrence on May 23 when a SriLankan Airlines flight experienced a significant delay, leading the Human Resources Department in Korea to reject the Sri Lankan workers scheduled for that flight. Through the intervention of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, the workers were eventually dispatched to Korea on June 4, but the flight faced a two-hour delay on that day as well.

The consistent delays of SriLankan Airlines flights transporting workers to South Korea have emerged as a pressing issue, seriously impacting the smooth execution of the labor migration process. Minister Manusha Nanayakkara emphasized the gravity of the situation and expressed concern about the challenges faced in sending Sri Lankan workers for Korean job placements.

Commenting on the matter, Minister Nanayakkara underscored the need for decisive actions to address the recurring delays and their consequences on the workers' opportunities. It is crucial to ensure the timely deployment of workers to their respective destinations, fostering efficient labor migration procedures between Sri Lanka and South Korea.