The trade unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) say they are giving the government one week to resolve the injustices affecting 20,000 CEB employees under the proposed electricity restructuring bill.
Warning the government, the unions noted that if no solution is presented by August 5, then on the morning of August 6, 29 trade unions of the CEB will make a decisive move.
Kosala Abeysinghe, President of the CEB Technical Engineers’ Union and leader of the CEB trade unions, stated that the President did not allocate time to discuss employee issues before or even after returning from his trip to the Maldives.
He further said that although they have not yet decided to launch a strike due to the potential hardship it would cause the government and the public, continued patience is being mistaken for weakness, and this leniency is now escalating like an earthquake.
Sharing further remarks, Kosala Abeysinghe added:
“We gave the government time from the 22nd to the 26th of this month, but they didn’t use that opportunity. On the 28th, trade union leaders held a special discussion. After that, we decided to give another five days. This is the final opportunity. If there is no response after this, we’ll have nothing left to say to the government. The CEB is not a retail shop. We can’t inconvenience the public. What if we go into an indefinite strike all at once? The entire country would be paralyzed. That’s why we’re giving the government more time. This struggle isn’t just for self-serving employees. We are fighting to prevent the country from being undermined. But we ask the government not to push the limits of our patience.”
This protest action began on the 22nd of this month, when CEB employees reported sick leave en masse in opposition to the proposed bill to restructure the CEB. Around 2,000 employees, representing both CEB staff and trade unions, participated in this protest.
