• Unions reject disciplinary, legal action initiated and committee probing CCTV, to lodge complaints with Police

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) have sent more than 20 employees including trade union leaders who engaged in a strike by withdrawing from duties pertaining to filling and distributing fuel on Tuesday (28) on compulsory leave and initiated the relevant disciplinary and legal action against them, a decision which has however been rejected by the trade unions.

Several trade unions within the CPC and the CPTSL that ended their two-day satyagraha protest campaign against the Government's decision to allow several multinational companies to import, store, distribute and sell petroleum on a long-term contract basis, had withdrawn from all duties pertaining to filling and distributing fuel on Tuesday.

The Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera, speaking at a special media briefing yesterday (29), claimed that they had received information to the effect that trade unionists and certain employees who were engaged in the strike had threatened those who did not support the strike. He also claimed that they were preparing to threaten and prevent other CPC and CPSTL employees from reporting to work yesterday. "I discussed this matter with President and Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ranil Wickremesinghe. I instructed the CPC and CPSTL Chairmen to take steps to initiate disciplinary and legal action against the trade union leaders and certain other employees who engaged in disruptive acts. As of last morning (29), nearly 20 employees who have been identified to have disrupted the CPC and the CPSTL have been sent on compulsory leave. They have been banned from entering the premises," he said. Speaking further, he said that there are certain retired employees who are leading trade unions and acting to disrupt operations as per the needs of certain political parties. "There are also those who are contesting the election (i.e. the Local Government election) who have entered the CPC and the CPSTL premises and disrupted their operations. According to the relevant circulars, they should be on leave as they are contesting for the election. Therefore, we have instructed the relevant authorities to carry out an inquiry as to how such parties entered the premises. After the conclusion of the inquiry, legal action will be initiated against them." Furthermore, Wijesekera said: "The necessary disciplinary and legal action will be initiated against anyone who disrupted work irrespective of the political parties that they are affiliated with. Be they those who engaged in politics with us, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, or the National People's Power, we will be taking action against all of them. Sending them on compulsory leave is the basic step of that programme. A committee will also be appointed to look into relevant closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage and complaints lodged by employees and officials, in order to take necessary steps."

The Daily Morning contacted Petroleum Trade Unions’ Confederation Convenor Ananda Palitha to inquire about the decision made by the CPC and the CPSTL to send trade unionists and employees who engaged in the strike on compulsory leave, and he said that the employees in question had not received any formal letter informing that they have been sent on compulsory leave. He also said that they do not accept the decision, which he said is completely illegal. "An employee can be sent on compulsory leave only if they are found guilty of some charge. If they have not forcibly entered the premises and there is no complaint against them, how can they be sent on compulsory leave? The CPC is not Wijesekera's private property. All its employees are in possession of a formal appointment letter. They got into trade union action by informing the administration. When all security officers are there, how would the employees have disrupted work? No security officer has lodged a complaint. Without any such complaint, how can one be sent on compulsory leave? This decision is illegal, it is against the Establishments’ Code and international labour laws. We do not accept this decision. We have instructed all employees who have been prevented by the authorities from entering the premises, to lodge a complaint with the relevant Police stations," he added. The Sri Lanka Podujana Progressive Employees' Collective - Petroleum President Bandula Saman Kumara also spoke to the media about the decision made by the CPC and the CPSTL: "The authorities have sent us on compulsory leave. We would like to warn them that this struggle cannot be prevented by suppressing us. We came forward to protect the CPC, which is a national heritage, thereby placing our jobs at risk. We will continue to launch this struggle regardless  of the challenges that come."

The Cabinet of Ministers recently granted approval to award licences to China’s Sinopec, the United Petroleum of Australia and R.M. Parks Incorporated of the United States in collaboration with Shell PLC of the United Kingdom to enter the fuel retail market in Sri Lanka. Wijesekera had stated that the energy committee and the other procurement committees had given their approval and recommendation to award the three companies in question the licences to operate in Sri Lanka. In protest of the move, the trade unions within the CPC and the CPSTL launched a two-day satyagraha protest campaign, and withdrew from all duties pertaining to filling and distributing fuel from Tuesday evening.