Electricity, Petroleum employees strike

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 10:42 GMT]
Employees of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Wednesday went on token strike and picketing in protest against the government's reported move of restructuring the CEB and to divest thirty percent share of CPC to an Indian company, trade union sources said. Alleged statement by Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama,describing the employees as rogues also had angered the workers, according to sources.

CEB employees went on a four-hour token strike for about four hours from noon Wednesday.

CPC employees staged a one-hour picketing at Kolonnawa and Sapuskanda refineries during lunch hour. The CEB Trade Union Collective organized the CEB token strike, sources said.

Some areas in the south-experienced interruption of power supply during the period of token strike.

The main aim of the trade union action of the CEB and CPC employees is to stop the proposed restructuring of the two state institutions, CEB and CPC.

The Cabinet is scheduled to meet Wednesday to take a final decision on restructuring of these institutions on a report submitted by Dr.Sarath Amunugama.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a major constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance has come out strongly against the proposed restructure, sources said.