CEB employees’ rights safe: President

Unions to hold internal talks on next steps 

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has assured that all rights currently enjoyed by employees of the now-liquidated Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will be protected under the newly established successor companies.

The assurance was given during a meeting held yesterday (12) at the Presidential Secretariat between the President and representatives of engineers’ trade unions (TUs) of the former CEB.

Discussions focused on the ongoing restructuring of the CEB. President Dissanayake said the objective of the process is to ensure an efficient and uninterrupted electricity supply to consumers at a fair price while safeguarding the country’s energy security through continued Government ownership of the new companies.

He also noted that several longstanding issues that remained unresolved during the CEB’s operation were discussed with union representatives.

The President acknowledged that the restructuring would be a complex, long-term process. He stressed the need for constructive dialogue and mutual understanding between employees and the newly formed companies, highlighting the importance of establishing a formal mechanism to facilitate such engagement.

He further emphasised the importance of ensuring employees’ peace of mind and creating an environment in which they can carry out their duties with confidence.

President Dissanayake said the challenges facing the sector could be addressed if all parties acted with responsibility and cooperation. He urged union representatives to work with the Government to ensure the success of the restructuring process and improve services to electricity consumers.

The unions acknowledged the need for the transformation and expressed willingness to work constructively with the Government.

According to the CEB Engineers Union (CEBEU), the President gave in-principle approval to the unions’ demands but explained that the country’s economic constraints prevent their immediate implementation.

CEBEU President Engineer Saman Ilukthenna told The Daily Morning that the President had provided a detailed explanation of the restructuring process and its future direction.

“We submitted our requests and the President principally accepted them, but he explained the difficulty of implementing them while the economy remains under strain,” Ilukthenna said.

He added that no commitments were made during the meeting and that the unions would hold internal discussions before deciding their next course of action.

The unions had called off their recent strike action, which included a demand for a 40% pay hike, to facilitate yesterday’s talks with the President.

Meanwhile, National Transmission Network Service Provider Company Chairperson Nushith Kumaratunga said the CEB had recorded losses of around Rs. 35 billion as of 31 December 2025.

He warned that meeting the unions’ demands could require electricity tariffs to rise by nearly 100%.

Source - The Morning