Power sector union escalates industrial action to 'non-cooperation'

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Engineers’ Union is set to intensify its current work-to-rule campaign by launching a "non-cooperation" industrial action starting next Monday (6).

A member of the Union’s Executive Committee, stated that engineers will refrain from communicating with certain senior officials as a means of further escalating their protest. He added that the specific officials who will be boycotted will be decided upon today.

This new measure, the "non-cooperation" campaign, is explicitly aimed at officials within the Ministry and the office responsible for the restructuring process of the CEB.

The union has taken this intensified action while accusing the authorities of proceeding with the CEB's restructuring without following proper procedures. They state that the majority of their 24 demands relate to flaws in the restructuring plan.

The engineers' primary concerns centre on the improper implementation of key steps, such as the establishment of new companies, the appointment of boards of directors, and the assignment of employees.

The union stressed that vital documents including those guaranteeing employee benefits and Human Resources (HR) Policies have not been properly prepared, and only incomplete drafts have been provided so far.

The Engineers’ Union warns that proceeding with the restructuring in the current informal manner will lead to numerous problems once the new companies are formally established.

Despite the intensified action, the union confirms that they are ready to participate in discussions if invited by the authorities to resolve their demands.