Troubleshooter

Government and trade union talks on Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) restructuring collapses and trade unions call for mediation by the Prime Minister again.





Government and trade union talks on Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) restructuring collapses and trade unions call for mediation by the Prime Minister again. Over the past month trade unions, lending agnecies and government representatives met over 17 times but could not move beyond the original point of contention.

Unions and the government are still not willing to compromise on converting the CEB into commercial entities.

"We proposed setting up separate units under the CEB instead of breaking it into companies.

But the government is saying we must form companies," said Ananda Nimalaratne, convenor, CEB Joint Trade Union Front.

“So we requested another meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday,” he said.

Trade unions are now waiting for an appointment with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to break the deadlock.

The CEB Joint Trade Union Front represents nearly all of the CEB’s trade unions with over 30 member unions.

In May the CEB trade unions were on the verge of a wa