- Queues experienced in several locations islandwide, Kanchana says 95% CPC, CPSTL staff on duty, SL Podujana Progressive Employees’ Union – Petroleum says workers on duty but won’t work
The strike launched by several trade unions within the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) by withdrawing from duties pertaining to filling and distributing fuel with effect from Tuesday (28) evening was thwarted to a certain extent as the Government had deployed the Police and the Army to continue the operations of the said institutions.
Several trade unions within the CPC and the CPSTL that initially launched a two-day “satyagraha” protest campaign against the Government’s decision to allow several multinational companies to import, store, distribute and sell petroleum on a long-term contract basis, had withdrawn from all duties pertaining to filling and distributing fuel on Tuesday.
The Government had then deployed the Police and the Army to assist in continuing the operations pertaining to filling and distributing fuel. However, as the distribution of fuel had been affected to a considerable extent due to the strike, long queues of people who were waiting to pump their vehicles, as seen in 2022, when there was a serious shortage of fuel, were seen at fuel stations in several areas.
It was against that backdrop that the CPC and the CPSTL, under the instructions of Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, had taken steps to send nearly 20 employees including trade unionists who engaged in the strike on compulsory leave. The Chairmen of the Institutions issued a statement which stated that the said number of employees had been banned from entering the premises. All other employees had been instructed to report for work, given that the petroleum related services had been declared as essential services through a recent gazette notification issued by President and Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Wijesekera commented on the strike action and the situation with regard to the distribution of fuel at a special media briefing held at the Ministry of Power and Energy yesterday (29). He said: “More than 95% of the employees of these institutions (the CPC and the CPSTL) did not support the strike and they are working as usual. The filling and distribution of fuel at the Kolonnawa, Sapugaskanda, and Muthurajawela terminals and the regional depots of Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa, Galle, Haputale, Kankesanthurai, Kurunegala, Matara, and Peradeniya commenced from 6 a.m. today (29).” According to him, a total of 88 loads of 6,600 litres of diesel and 122 loads of 6,600 litres of 92 Octane petrol had been issued from the said terminals and regional depots from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. yesterday. Although 507 such loads of 92 Octane petrol and 451 loads of diesel had been scheduled to be distributed on Tuesday, he said that only 438 loads of petrol and 333 loads of diesel had been distributed due to the strike launched by the trade unions.
However, he said that the filling and distribution of fuel are being carried out by the CPC and CPSTL employees as of yesterday, so that the people do not need to have a fear about a shortage of fuel. “They (trade unions) had started a ‘satyagraha’ protest campaign too and it was not successful. It was attended by only trade union leaders. A group of trade union leaders and certain employees who engaged in the strike had then influenced the other employees to join the strike by withdrawing from duties. They had shut down pipeline systems and even stopped trains transporting jet fuel, which would have a great impact on the tourism industry which is reviving now,” added Wijesekera.
Speaking further, he claimed that the Ministry has now taken steps to suspend various privileges enjoyed by trade union members for a long time. “Over the past, most of the trade unionists enjoyed a large number of privileges. For instance, four vehicles had been allocated for trade union leaders of the CPC and the CPSTL. They were being provided with an unlimited quota of fuel. We took steps to recall those vehicles with effect from last month (February). Some of them have been released for trade union activities and are paid for doing nothing. They are instead engaging in politics using the institutions’ resources.”
He added that the Government had not taken away the people’s right to protest, but that no protest should be an impediment to continuing the provision of services to the people.
When queried by the media regarding the allegations levelled against the Ministry, the CPC, the CPSTL and other relevant institutions that they do not consult the trade unions in making decisions, Wijesekera said: “We do not consult trade unions to make policy decisions and the relevant evaluations. They are done with the intervention of the Finance and Power and Energy Ministries, the Board of Investment, the Central Bank, the CPC and the relevant legal departments. If trade unions are allowed to do that, Sri Lanka will never have a future. Therefore, those institutions are not there to carry out evaluation work as required by trade unions.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Sri Lanka Podujana Progressive Employees’ Union – Petroleum, Bandula Saman Kumara was questioned by the media about the latest situation of their strike. He replied: “The employees are helpless now. All are working for a salary. The employees will be reporting for work, but they will not be working. That is the decision that we have taken as of now.”
The President of the Petroleum General Employees Union Ashoka Ranwala also spoke to the media and said: “The people are inconvenienced due to this strike. We are sorry about it. The strike was 100% successful. It was Wijesekera who was responsible for this situation. We did not want to launch a strike and we wanted to have a discussion with him, but were not given an opportunity. That is why we got into this action. The Government is now trying to maintain operations by deploying thousands of Army personnel and Police officers, and forcibly taking employees to work. Can it be done forever?.”
The media questioned several bowser operators who had come to fill up on fuel at the fuel dispensing terminals including in Kolonnawa and they said that the filling of fuel was done as usual by yesterday afternoon. Accordingly, there will be no shortage of fuel, they said.
Source By themorning.lk
