News
Trade unions meet to decide on action to be taken against CEB suspending 15 workers
The Ceylon Electricity Board unions have convened a meeting with all state and private sector unions on Monday (22) to decide on what to do about the decision taken by authorities to suspend 15 of their workers, Secretary of the Combined Trade Union Alliance of the CEB Ranjan Jayalal, said.
Earlier, CEB spokesman Engineer Noel Priyantha said they have interdicted 15 employees for disrupting services during a protest against the proposed restructuring of the state-owned electricity supplier seen by many as unwieldy in its current state.
“They have interdicted 15. Apparently they have a list with over 100 names that they want to punish. We will not allow this. We have convened a meeting with all state and private unions on Monday and decide on a course of action,” Jayalal said.
He said CEB trade unions carried out a series of protests between 03 and 05 January against the government moves to restructure the entity and the proposed Electricity Bill.
The CEB said those interdicted are clerical staff members in charge of the cash counters. The CEB alleged that these workers prevented customers from paying their bills by closing the payment counters.
Jayalal, however, claimed that services were not disrupted.
The CEB management, prior to the strike, issued a circular cancelling the leave of all employees from 02 January. In December, President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared all services, connected to the electricity supply, as essential public services.
After the three-day trade union action, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera instructed the CEB management to suspend and take appropriate disciplinary action against the employees who disrupted the services, or acted in violation of the guidelines.
Following the conclusion of bilateral discussions between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, official-level talks between the delegations of Sri Lanka and India commenced this morning (05) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Anil Jayantha; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials.
The Indian delegation included Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, along with several other senior officials of the Government of India.
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the invitation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Friday [04] night, visited the Presidential Secretariat this morning (05).
The Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake upon his arrival at the Presidential Secretariat.
Prime Minister Modi is currently on a state visit to Sri Lanka, reaffirming the theme “Friendship of Centuries — Commitment to a Prosperous Future” which symbolises the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and India. The Indian Premier is scheduled to remain in the country until tomorrow (06).
[PMD]
The official welcoming ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was held this morning (05) at the Independence Square in Colombo.
On arrival at the Independence Square the Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
Discussions between Sri Lankan and Indian delegations at the presidential secretariat
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Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrives at the presidential secretariat
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