Minister orders stringent action against CEB employees who obstructed services

Minister of Power & Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says disciplinary actions will be taken against the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) employees who were involved in the three-day trade union action and disrupted the services.

As such, the CEB’s chairman has been directed in writing to take necessary measures pursuant to the relevant legal provisions and to suspend the duties of the employees involved.

In his letter, the lawmaker also instructed the CEB chairman to inform the ministry of the employees who did not report for duty without prior notice and took part in the protests held over the past three days.

CEB employees were engaged in a three-day trade union action from January 03 - 05 against the restructuring of the state-owned electricity supplier and the new Electricity Bill.

Ahead of the trade union action, the CEB management, by way of a circular, cancelled the leave of all employees with effect from January 02, until further notice. However, in case of an urgent matter, the employees were allowed to take a leave, with the approval of an executive officer attached to the respective division or branch.

Meanwhile, Extraordinary Gazette No.2363.02 published on December 18, 2023 on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, had declared all services connected to the electricity supply as essential public services.

After the three-day strike was launched, Minister Wijesekera instructed the CEB management to suspend and take appropriate disciplinary action against the employees disrupting the services, or acting in violation of the guidelines.