Electricity Cuts Are Back Again In Crisis-hit Sri Lanka As Power Union Goes On Strike Against Government

Many areas in the crisis hit country of Sri Lanka have been hit by electricity cuts after a power sector union went on strike in protest against new government regulations, as per Aljazeera report.

About 900 out of approximately 1,100 engineers of the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Sri Lanka¡¯s main power company, reportedly went on strike at midnight on Thursday, stalling operations at eight hydropower plants that generate about 1,000 MW of electricity.

The CEB Engineers¡¯ Union is opposing the government¡¯s plans to amend legislation governing the country¡¯s power sector, which includes removing restrictions on competitive bidding for renewable power projects.

AFP

Kanchana Wijesekera, Sri Lanka¡¯s power minister, said he was open to making changes to the legislation, which is due to be presented to parliament, adding that consumers have the right to a cheap, uninterrupted electricity supply, as per the report.

¡°If the existing CEB act does not need amendments and has the capability to implement renewable energy projects without delay, why did the CEB deprive many who had requested to do so for years?¡± Wijesekera reportedly said in a tweet.

In a bid to stop the CEB Engineers¡¯ Union from striking, the already under pressure Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had issued a gazette notification late on Wednesday declaring electricity supply an essential service.

This legal directive makes it mandatory for engineers to report to work.

¡°President Rajapaksa called the union president late last night and made an appeal not to let the entire grid collapse. So we are working to ensure hospitals and other essential services have power,¡± the union¡¯s joint secretary Eranga Kudahewa told Reuters news agency, as per Aljazeera.

¡°But the strike will continue,¡± he reportedly said.

AP

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Janaka Ratnayake, the chairman of the power regulator Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, said regions supplied by hydropower had seen power outages, including parts of the commercial capital, Colombo, as per the report.

"We are working to restore services and will talk with the unions to reduce public inconvenience,¡± Ratnayake said.

Earlier this year, Sri Lanka had faced long power outages after it was unable to import the fuel needed to generate electricity, though the situation is said to have improved as monsoon rains have bolstered hydropower generation.

But with this power union¡¯s strike, it remains to be seen how soon the crisis hit government can resolve this issue and restore the electricity supply.

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