• Plan to challenge new electricity Bill in SC; threaten strike if Bill is passed

Following the Ceylon Electricity Workers’ Union (CEWU) launching a three-day protest from today (3) against the proposed electricity reforms Bill which seeks to restructure the state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) through a new Electricity Act, it will also challenge the said Bill before the Judiciary if the Ministry of Power and Energy tables it in Parliament.

Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera recently said that the Ministry is planning to table the proposed Bill, which aims to restructure the CEB when Parliament sessions start.

Against this backdrop, CEWU General Secretary Ranjan Jayalal yesterday (2) told The Daily Morning that they would launch a continuous strike if the Bill is passed by a majority in Parliament. Speaking further, Jayalal said that almost all trade unions attached to the CEB have come together against the proposed Bill for the first time in history, regardless of their political affiliations. 

“Earlier, we could not collect all the trade unions onto one platform. We had many different opinions on matters such as salary anomalies. But this time, all the unions have one stance. Therefore, no one will be able to pass this Bill, which is unfavourable to the country’s power and energy sector,” he claimed. 

Jayalal also noted that the three-day protest will be launched as the first step of the programme against the Bill and that they hoped, through such, to give a clear message to the Government and Wijesekera that this particular Bill should not be enacted. 

“This three-day protest will be launched to give Wijesekera a signal. If he does not take this into consideration and instead tables the Bill in Parliament, we will go to the Supreme Court (SC) challenging it. We don’t know what the verdict will be. Most probably, the Bill must be passed by a special majority of Parliament. If the Government takes measures to pass it anyhow using its power within Parliament, we will strike continuously against it,” he further claimed.

Jayalal stated that they will, therefore, demand Wijesekera to immediately withdraw the relevant Bill. “Wijesekera, together with President and Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, wants to sell this off. If this Bill is passed arbitrarily in Parliament, CEB workers will opt for a massive strike. We are making an open challenge to Wijesekera to present this Bill to Parliament if possible. On that day, we will bring all employees of the CEB to Parliament’s doorstep,” he further claimed.

However, he added that the trade unions would not take any union action that would disrupt the country’s daily operations, and also said that they had already informed Wijesekera about measures that are to be taken by the unions.

Last year (2023), Wijesekera said that the Cabinet of Ministers had greenlit the proposed Bill for electricity sector reforms. “Once approved by Parliament, the new Electricity Act will enable the unbundling of the services of the CEB and the restructuring of the state-owned institution. Additionally, the new legislation will improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the CEB. It will also allow private sector participation across the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity,” he said.

In the meantime, All-Island General Fisheries Federation National Organiser Rathna Gamage said that their industry was in crisis due to the newly proposed Fisheries Act.