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http://ceylontoday.lk/print20170401CT20170630.php?id=31430

By M.Rishar.M.Saleem

A communiqué issued by the Ministry of Power and Energy notes that 100Mw is urgently needed by the National Grid from October 2017 to maintain uninterrupted power supply. The Ministry statement emphasizes this is a short-term measure and the Government intends to purchase this immediate need through international bids.

The water levels of the hydropower reservoirs have dropped as the expected monsoon rainfall during the last year and up to this year has not been adequately received. The prevailing drought is expected to last longer, rather unexpectedly.

The Power and Renewable Energy Ministry will call for international bids to select power generators to purchase the 100 Mw for a period of six months from October. The emergency power will be connected to the national grid when a challenging time is encountered.

The communiqué from the ministry stressed that despite Government regulations to allow the purchasing of power without competitive bidding for emergency purchases, the ministry had decided otherwise and will follow the tender process to ensure transparency.
The Cabinet of Ministers’ approval was granted to the proposal presented by the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy to procure a supplier for generators on a short-term basis at competitive prices through open-competition bidding.

Refuting the claims made by some, the ministry notes that the purchase of additional power will not be a burden on the consumer; the Government believes the situation can be managed without imposing extra burden on both consumers and the general public.
Early this year, CEB purchased 60 Mw through open competitive bids and paid lower rates to purchase, compared to earlier purchase prices.

???? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ??????? ? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ??. ??? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????????? ??????. ? ???? ?????? ?? ???????? ?????? ????? ????????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???? ???? ???????? ??????? ???? ?? ??. ????? ? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???????????? ??? ?????? ??? ???????????? ?????? ????? ????.

Continue reading “ප්‍රමිතියකින් තොර LED විදුලි බුබුළු නිසා පාරිභෝගිකයන් අමාරුවේ” →

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=173003

By Dr Tilak Siyambalapitiya

A power sector regulatory commission was established in 2003, called the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL). With the new Electricity Act of 2009, PUCSL was empowered to be the regulator of the electricity supply and use. More utility services are proposed to be added to PUCSL’s mandate: petroleum and water supply.

The Electricity Act 2009 says, “The functions of the Commission shall be to act as the economic, technical and safety regulator for the electricity industry in Sri Lanka, and—

(a) to advise the Government on all matters concerning the generation, transmission, distribution, supply and use of electricity in Sri Lanka;”….

The latest plea of PUCSL last week for more generating capacity arose as a result of three actions: (i) the new Government of 2015 cancelled the on-going Sampur power generation project, and along with it, the Sampur No 2 project that was also in the pipeline, and PUCSL remained silent, while CEB protested heavily, (ii) when PUCSL refrained from approving the long-term generation expansion plan of CEB in 2016, approving only oil-burning power plants, and (iii) PUCSL unilaterally changing CEB’s generation expansion plan of 2017, approving and publishing it, with CEB declaring the intervention to be not according to the Commissions legal mandate.

Continue reading “More diesel generating capacity ordered to saboteurs’ delight” →

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170924/news/ceb-electrocutes-govt-for-rs-3-4-billion-in-pay-deal-260694.html

The Treasury may have to pump several billion rupees to fund the latest salary increase for Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) employees who ceased their trade union action as part of a compromise deal this week, a senior official acknowledged.

While the cost of the salary increase is still being computed, Power and Renewable Energy Ministry Secretary Dr B.M.S. Batagoda told the Sunday Times, it will definitely be in excess of Rs 1 billion. “We’re still calculating, but it coul go up to between Rs 3-4 billion,” he said.

“As part of a deal worked out between the Govt and the CEB Joint Trade Union Alliance, CEB technical staff, except those on the Engineering scale, will get a 13% hike in their basic salary, while unskilled staff will receive an 8% salary increase. Non-technical staff engaged in support services, including clerical officers, drivers, meter readers and peons, will be paid an allowance of 10%,” explained Power and Renewable Energy Ministry Director (Development) and CEB Spokesman Sulakshana Jayawardena.

The increases will be retro-effective from January 1, 2017, with the CEB agreeing to pay the arrears in two instalments.

It has also been agreed to appoint a committee of external experts and CEB representatives to determine salary scales compatible to all services, within three months.

“Meanwhile, all CEB employees are to gain a further salary increase from January 1, 2018, as part of an agreement between the Board’s management and unions to increase salaries based on a three-year cycle. While it was initially reported that all employees will get a 25% salary hike, this percentage is likely to be revised, in view of the deal worked out this week,” Mr Jayawardena stressed.

Meanwhile, Dr Batagoda insisted the unions “gained nothing” from their eight-day strike. He claimed the deal signed this week was based on proposals the Govt presented to the CEB, before they went on strike.

“We were firm in our resolve to provide uninterrupted power throughout the strike, and we issued termination letters to casual workers and those on probation,” the Secretary observed, adding that, the unions were left with no choice but to return to the negotiating table, and agree to the deal.

“I don’t believe we will see another strike of this nature regarding salaries at the CEB,” he quipped.

He also insisted the salary hikes will not result in an increase in consumers’ Electricity bills.

http://www.economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_s_CEB_meter_readers_show_how_to_use_unionized_power-3-8750.html

ECONOMYNEXT – Meter readers at Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Electricity Board have provided an object lesson on how to cut down work using union power to earn more overtime, while working half a day, after getting permanent employment, inside sources at the power utility say.

The current administration had absorbed over 3,000 outsourced workers who came from ‘manpower agencies’ to the CEB, sharply raising their salaries.

Most of the new workers have joined a strike called by the Ceylon Electricity Employees Union (CEEU), which is backed by Sri Lanka’s leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

Among the workers absorbed into the CEB were 1,400 metre readers; and because they lacked the basic qualification, about 600 were placed as casual workers.

Meter readers already earn over 100,000 rupees, and if the demands are granted, their monthly earnings can top 200,000 rupees, according to information that came to light in recent days. Before joining the CEB they were paid by manpower agencies on piecework rates. According to CEB officials, some read as many as 200 metres a day.

Shortage

After joining the CEB, they started operating on ‘union norms’, refusing to read more than 60 metres a day.

A top union leader is also a metre reader. Union leaders are released from work to engage in full-time union activities. The CEB then suddenly had a ‘shortage’ of metre readers. As a result, the new administration hired about 500 more workers.

They then had to be paid overtime. Metre readers are paid 1.5 times overtime on holidays and double overtime on Sundays.

CEB meter readers can now earn over 120,000 rupees a month. This is around the same salary as the entry-grade engineer who must have a university degree.

Next year, from January, all CEB employees will get a 25 percent hike, allowing meter readers to earn up to 150,000 rupees or more.

But they joined the JVP-backed strike demanding an even greater hike, with a salary based on a 1:6 formula with the CEB general manager, which means the lowest paid CEB worker should get at least one-sixth the salary of the CEB general manager.

Study overtime

In any case, CEB metre readers work only about half a day and mostly visit customer premises in the morning.

Most CEB customers are familiar with the practice where meter readers hardly turn up at 4.00 o’clock.

A senior CEB official said other workers in the CEB, technical and non-technical workers have to work a full day.

Being field staff, some meter readers do other work like driving a three-wheeler. Others use the spare time to study for internal exams and move onto higher grades.

“Because meter readers do not work a full day, they used it to study for internal examinations and pass them,” the official said. “Other CEB employees have to work a full day and do not have time to study. This is a remarkable situation.”

If the 1:6 ratio demanded by the Ceylon Electrical Workers Union is given, the basic wage of a metre readers will go up to 81,300 rupees, with earnings with overtime going up to 187,786 rupees, according to information that came to light during the strike.

After next year’s 25 percent hike, monthly earnings of a metre reader could go up to 234,733 rupees.

Sri Lanka’s state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority also pays massive above-market salaries.

A ports minister once related the following story to journalists. He had given his salary check to the office assistant to deposit in the bank. The office assistant had come back looking troubled and asked the minister if everything was ok. The minister had asked why he was asked the question. “Amathithuma, are they cutting your salary? I am asking you because my salary is higher than yours.”
(Colombo/Sept19/2017)

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s power engineers and electrical superintendents have kept the nation supplied with power so far with great difficulty amid a strike called by non-technical staff for higher salaries.

A striker breaker said they have reported to work despite threats and mud-slinging campaigns.

“We can keep the generation side going, but the problem is with distribution,” a senior Ceylon Electricity Board official said.

“When breakdowns happen it is difficult to restore supply without other staff.”

There have also been reports of sabotage of transmission lines by strikers, which have cut off power to hospitals among other places.

Engineers of state-run Ceylon Electricity Board were able to keep the country supplied with power amid a strike in 2012 with the help of outsourced ‘manpower agency’ staff.

But after ‘manpower’ were absorbed to the permanent staff by President Maithripala Sirisena amid great fanfare, have now joined the strike.

Engineers, electrical superintendents, control room operators and engineering assistants have not joined the strike, and are working night and day to keep the grid energized, officials said.

Ceylon Electricity Employees Union (CEEU) connected to Sri Lanka’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna is taking a lead in the strike.

CEEU leader Ranjan Jayalal warned of more power failures Monday.

The union workers have put up pictures of strike breakers on facebook making derogatory references such as ‘Anurahapura thawath weda karana horikada ballek’ (this mangy cur from Anuradhapura is still working).

Female staff who reported to work have been attacked through ‘name and shame’ facebook campaigns by the strikers and mud-slinging has also started against lady engineers, CEB sources said.

“Shame! This woman has betrayed the battle, she is working today also,” a facebook.com post with a named picture of what was claimed to be a lady computer operator, working at Jaywadenepura said.

Read More:

http://www.economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_CEB_engineers,_power_supers,_battle_to_keep_country_lit_amid_attacks-3-8739-8.html

CEBEU Appreciate all the efforts of all the engineers & other employees who reported to duty during last few days.

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