CEB employees call off strike

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) trade unions have decided to call off their strike action, against yesterday’s police assault on protesting employees. 

CEB workers last night launched an island-wide strike in protest over the alleged police assault on them last evening. 

A tense situation was reported at the Headquarters of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in Colombo Fort yesterday as riot police and special task force (STF) personnel had to intervene to rescue the CEB Chairman who was being held hostage by the protesting employees. 

A group of employees of the CEB engaged in a protest from morning yesterday in front of the head office against the Chairman accusing him of corruption and also demanding an end to the alleged suppressing of trade union leaders.  

Protesting employees had then proceeded to block the office of the Chairman, forcibly detaining him and preventing him from leaving.

The riot police and the STF were later called in to placate the situation, however a tense situation ensued as they attempted to rescue the CEB Chairman who was trapped inside his own office.