Strike If You Must, BUT Power Sector Reforms WIll Proceed : President to Energy Workers

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has made a strong case for the government’s recent reforms in the electricity sector, urging employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to understand the necessity of change and to act responsibly in the face of transformation.

Addressing concerns over the restructuring of the CEB, the President clarified that the previous Electricity Act, which was scheduled to take effect by the end of October, had the potential to undermine national energy sovereignty. “We were bound by that law, but we stopped it,” he said. “We introduced a new law that protects our energy sector and improves institutional efficiency.”

He challenged the notion that the reform was a threat to workers’ rights. “Is changing the old law a crime? Is it a violation of your rights? No—it’s the very change that protects your rights,” he said, urging workers to perform their duties diligently and not misuse sick leave as a form of protest.

The President emphasized that the government is building multiple companies under the new structure and has given workers two months to choose which entity they wish to join. Those unwilling to join any company will be offered a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) with compensation ranging from Rs. 950,000 to Rs. 5 million.

“This is how we work. No one can sabotage this process,” he said firmly.

He also outlined the government’s broader goal: reducing production costs in the energy sector. “We must lower the cost of producing a unit of electricity—from 8 cents to 5 cents per dollar. That’s our target. And when we achieve that, the benefit will reach the consumer.”