The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) United Trade Union Alliance has warned of staging a trade union action on the 3rd of November 2021.
Convener of the Alliance Ranjan Jayalal told reporters that the trade union action will be similar to the 72-hour trade union action that was experienced in 1996.
The trade union action is to be staged to protest the agreement signed with New Fortress Energy Ltd. of the USA on the sale of nearly 40% of shares of the Yugadanavi power plant in Kerawalapitiya.
Jayalal said the CEB trade unions will go ahead with the trade union action if the Government fails to suspend the said agreement.
“Suspend the agreement before the 3rd of November. Suspend it immediately. If you fail to do so, then we will engage in a trade union action that will put the entire country in darkness on 3rd November. This will not be something like closing schools. Fuel, Ports, and Power are much more important sectors of the country. Even if one of these sectors shuts down, it will lead to the remaining other sectors being affected. People will not have access to media, radio, and televisions. We will engage in a trade union action which will reach the worst case where one will not even be able to operate the generator at their residences. So please suspend the agreement,” Jayalal warned.
He added that the leaders of 11 political parties have promised to engage in similar trade union actions simultaneously.
The convenor of the CEB United Trade Union Alliance further said they have not yet decided the date on which to hold a strike, but prior to it, a two-day protest has already been announced.
Accordingly, an island-wide protest will be staged on Friday (29), and the Alliance has decided to sign a petition with their demands.
Jayalal said it has also been decided to gather all CEB employees in Colombo on Saturday (30) and thereafter decide the next course of action. (NewsWire)