VRS employee collective denounces CEB token strike, urges action under Essential Public Services Act

Friday, 27 February 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A group representing more than 2,000 Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) employees who have applied under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) has criticised the recent token strike staged by several CEB trade unions, describing it as unlawful and politically driven.

In a letter to the Energy Minister, the collective said the industrial action had limited impact, claiming that fewer than 25% of employees participated despite what it alleged were threats from certain union leaders.

The group stated that it had earlier advised all VRS applicants to refrain from engaging in any activity that could disrupt the ongoing restructuring of the CEB or advance partisan political interests. According to the letter, none of the VRS applicants joined the token strike and they have undertaken not to participate in similar action going forward.

The collective also pointed to the status of electricity supply as an essential service, declared by Presidential Order under the Essential Public Services Act. It noted that Section 2(2) of the Act makes it a criminal offence for employees in an essential service to fail to report to work, decline to perform assigned duties, or otherwise obstruct or delay the provision of the service.

Further, the employees cited Section 6 of the Act, which removes trade union protections in such circumstances, stating that participation in a strike organised by a trade union cannot be relied upon as a legal defence if proceedings are instituted.

In this context, the collective called on authorities to initiate action against union officials who led the strike, arguing that the matter should be treated as a criminal violation rather than a protected labour dispute.

The group also urged the Minister to proceed with gazetting the “Appointed Date” to enable the next phase of the CEB reform program. In the event of delays, it requested that VRS applicants be granted approved no-pay leave until the restructuring process is formally advanced.