- CEB Unions to launch ‘people-friendly’ struggle
- Warn of electricity unit reaching fuel litre price of Rs. 400
The employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) who are represented by trade unions have decided not to implement instructions from the CEB to disconnect the electricity supply of consumers who are unable to pay their electricity bills from January 2023 onwards.
Speaking to The Morning yesterday (28), CEB Joint Trade Union Alliance (CEBJTUA) Convenor Ranjan Jayalal said that the CEBJTUA will continue to issue electricity bills to households every month, but that if the CEB instructs to disconnect the electricity supply to any customer because they are unable to pay the electricity bill, the CEB employees would not implement those instructions.
“We are not ready to further oppress the people by taking trade union action against the actions of the Government. The Government is oppressing public servants, including those of the CEB, while there is no relief for the people either. So we should not further oppress the people. The Government would like us to do so, but we have decided to launch a people-friendly trade union struggle. Launching such a struggle will be of help in getting the people’s support against such decisions by the Government,” added Jayalal.
He said that those who accept the current Government’s programme would pay their electricity bills even after the proposed tariff hike, but that the majority of the people will however be unable to pay their bills.
“Currently, the people have been inconvenienced by many issues. In this situation, the Government has planned to increase the electricity tariffs on two occasions in the months of January and May 2023. We know that in the recent past, the price of a litre of fuel was increased to around Rs. 400. It is very clear to us that based on the way that the Government is planning, the price of an electricity unit too will reach such a value in the near future.”
The Ministry of Power and Energy will submit a Cabinet paper on 2 January 2023, to increase electricity tariffs by around Rs. 48.40 per unit in order to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity to consumers soon after the new tariffs come into effect in 2023.
Speaking to the media, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that the proposed tariff revision will cover the deficit of Rs. 277.5 billion as a result of the tariff hike in August of this year. However, the Government’s preparations to increase electricity tariffs have been met with vocal opposition from several parties such as trade unions, religious leaders including Buddhist monks, the business community and other civil society organisations.