CEB Engineers’ Union opposes letters issued to employees without VRS offer

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) has raised concerned about the purported assignation letters issued to employees of the CEB claiming to be under and in terms of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act.

In a letter addressed to the Secretary, Ministry of Energy, the CEBEU states that the Act clearly states that the Voluntary Retirement Scheme should be made available at the time of providing the ‘Assignation Letters’ so that the employees could make an informed and considered decision whether to accept the Assignation or to opt for the VRS.

Therefore, the union said the VRS scheme should be prescribed in order for the employees of CEB to make a choice.

The letter goes on to state, “We are shocked and perturbed to note that, the employees of the CEB whilst have been issued with letters of assignment, the VRS is not duly and properly prescribed. Instead, the employees are asked to refer to a purported draft published in the website, which has no authenticity or validity in law, as the Act contemplates the VRS to be prescribed in terms of the Act.”

The CEBEU noted that the issuances of the assignation letter in haste, without the VRS being duly prescribed in accordance with the law, and demanding the employees to make a decision within two months, a time period granted by law contemplating the availability of the prescribed VRS, is a gross violation of the law, procedure, and the fundamental rights of the employees guaranteed by Articles 12(1) and 14(1)(g) of the Constitution, as affirmed by the Supreme Court.

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union stressed that even the purported draft VRS does not contain any timeline as to the VRS payments, details of payment guarantees, and which institution undertakes to settle the VRS, and should an employee serve after opting for the VRS, if so for how long etc. and therefore it is impossible for the employees to make a decision whether to accept the assignation or opt for the VRS.

Furthermore, the union is of the view that, several items of these clarifications issued by the PSRS, regarding the assignation process and the availability of the information, are totally in contradiction with what has been submitted by the Attorney General’s office in their submissions to the Special Determination of the “Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill (2025), which assured that all such prerequired plans and documents are already been prepared by then.

Moreover, it added that the successor entities are not yet established in accordance with the law.

The Engineers’ Union SAID, “More specifically, the Board of Directors are not appointed in terms of the law. In those circumstances, it is a gross violation of the law, procedure, and the fundamental rights of the employees guaranteed by Articles 12(1) and 14(1)(g) of the Constitution, to assign the CEB employees to such successor companies which are not duly established and constituted in accordance with the provisions of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act (as amended)."

The union stated that, “we, as a responsible trade union, put it on record that the purported assignation letters issued are not in accordance with the law, and are arbitrary, capricious, illegal, unlawful, and grossly violate the procedural proprieties, and thereby have no force or avail in law."

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union therefore urge the Secretary to the Ministry to act in accordance with the law. It added if the Secretary fails to address the concerns immediately, the Union will be compelled to pursue all available legal avenues.