CEB trade unions threaten blackout unless govt. suspends New Fortress deal

By Ifham Nizam

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) United Trade Union Alliance is scheduled to stage a major blackout protest on Wednesday against the sale of nearly 40% of shares of the Yugadanavi Power Plant, Kerawalapitiya to US energy firm, New Fortress.

Convener of the union alliance, led by pro-JVP CEB Employees’ Union General Secretary, Ranjan Jayalal said that the trade union action would be similar to the 72-hour trade strike, which crippled the country in 1996.

Jayalal said the CEB trade unions would go ahead with its protest if the government did not suspend the New Fortress agreement immediately.

“Suspend the agreement before 3 November. If you fail to do so, then we will cripple the power sector.

This will not be something like closing schools,” Jayalal said.

He added that the leaders of 11 political parties had promised to engage in a protest simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the engineers of the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) yesterday said it would support the trade union alliance’s call for the protest, and hold a protest opposite the CEB headquarters in Colombo on Wednesday.

An executive member of the CEBEU told The Island that they regretted any inconvenience that would be caused to the public due to their union action. “We have tried to negotiate with the government authorities but they are not flexible. We may have to decide on severe actions if the government goes ahead with the unsolicited proposal of the New Fortress Energy Ltd of the US.”

The CEBEU says that natural gas would be the next fossil fuel option for the country in respect of the country’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.