Trade unions affiliated with the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) have stepped up their ongoing work-to-rule campaign, now entering its fourth day, citing continued silence from government authorities over a series of demands.
Speaking to reporters, Priyantha Prabath, General Secretary of the CEB Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya, announced that from today, union members will officially withdraw from all overtime duties after 4:30 PM.
The industrial action, which began at midnight on Thursday, revolves around 24 key demands, with major concerns centred on the government’s proposed restructuring of the CEB.
As part of the escalating measures, workers have been instructed to limit their shifts to 4 hours and 15 minutes and to suspend all maintenance work after 5 PM starting from 16 September.
In a further move, union officials said that officers and senior staff have been withdrawn from government-appointed restructuring committees, and the workforce will now strictly observe full weekends off.
Prabath warned that unless the government engages with the unions meaningfully, the campaign will intensify in the coming days.
He also noted that the impact of the campaign has so far been limited due to mandatory public holidays over the past three days.
The CEB’s restructuring programme has faced growing resistance from within its ranks, with unions warning of potential disruptions to electricity services if their concerns are not addressed.
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