CEBEU threatens to continue with their agitation against appointment of retired person as GM

By Ifham Nizam

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union (CEBEU) says it will continue their trade union action until Acting General Manager Dr. Susantha Perera is removed from the post.

CEBEU President Saumya Kumarawadu told The Island that there were no personal issues with Dr. Perera but there was a policy issue over a retired person being appointed to the top post that was always reserved for a serving senior engineer.

He said there were nine serving senior engineers eligible to hold that post.

However, CEB Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando told The Island action would be taken on the instructions of the Attorney General’s Department.

CEBEU is on record saying that Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Additional General Manager (Corporate Strategy) Eng. (Dr.) D.C.R. Abeysekera will be appointed General Manager of the CEB with effect from 13 January 2022, as per a circular issued by the Ministry of Power.

In a letter addressed to the CEB management at the time, the CEBEU has said, “By taking further steps in violation of the established rules in the CEB, which also adversely affects our individual members, you (a reference to Eng. Ranatunga, the previous GM) have extended your conduct to a level that we cannot tolerate any further. It appears that you are merely acting under the dictation of the CEB Board, probably to please the present Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando, to secure any benefit beyond your scheduled retirement on 12 January 2022.”

Incidentally Ferdinando, a former public servant too has been brought back from retirement to be CEB Chairman.