Over 4,000 CEB employees to be made permanent - Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi

Arrangements are in place to provide permanency for over 4,000 employees in the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) through manpower agencies, Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.

Addressing a press briefing at the ministry premises, the minister said employees who have completed required qualifications for the government service, will be absorbed into the permanent cadre of the CEB with effect from December 1. Minister Wanniarachchi said: "The CEB had been obtaining the services of manpower agencies for several years. These people who serve under these agencies have been agitating for a long period requesting the government to provide them with redress due to severe problems they were undergoing." "We have now taken a policy decision to make over 4,000 employees permanent as we have finished the qualification tests held at Provincial level for these employees who have been recruited via manpower agencies," she said.

"We took this decision before announcing the Presidential election. But we have to solve some practical matters related to this before putting that decision into action," the minister said. Permanent appointment letters will be distributed on December 26 for these employees under special permission from the Election Commissioner with the supervision of Power and Energy Minister Secretary M.M.C. Ferdinando.

"This is not carried out to promote President Mahinda Rajapaksa or the government. This is only a progressive policy decision taken according to the Budget 2015," she said.

Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Ferdinando said all these employees absorbed to the permanent cadre of the CEB have completed all qualifications essential for their positions. The Power and Energy Ministry along with the CEB are now discussing for an alternative way to ensure job security of those who do not have enough qualifications to be recruited to the government service, he added. CEB Chairman W.B. Ganegala was also present.