• Breakdown repairs and maintenance halted

A coalition of nearly 25 electricity trade unions yesterday (10) announced that their strike action will continue, following the breakdown of talks with the management of the newly established entities that replaced the former Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

Union representatives said discussions held with the management of the restructured electricity sector institutions had failed to produce a satisfactory outcome, prompting workers to press ahead with trade union action.

The 24-hour strike, which began earlier this week, saw employees withdrawing from all services except essential operations.

General Secretary of the CEB’s Sri Lanka Nidahas Sewaka Samgamaya, Prabath Priyantha, said the action was taken in protest against what unions describe as the Government’s failure to respond positively to several long-standing demands by electricity sector employees.

He stated that workers would not report for regular duties until further discussions are held after a thorough review of the existing collective agreement.

While assuring that power plants and other critical operations would continue in order to prevent a total system collapse, Priyantha noted that breakdown repairs and routine maintenance activities have been suspended as part of the trade union action.

Amid the ongoing strike, several areas across the country experienced intermittent power interruptions yesterday, with consumers reporting delays in the restoration of supply following technical faults. However, officials maintained that electricity generation remained stable.

The trade unions have warned that unless their concerns are addressed promptly, further action could follow, raising concerns over the stability of electricity services during the ongoing restructuring of the power sector.