Sri Lanka will gradually reduce the workforce of the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) from the approved 26,000 cadres through a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and by not filling positions left vacant by retirees unless necessary, according to Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera.
Minister Wijesekera has previously stated that the CEB could be effectively managed with only 5,000 cadres instead of the current approved 26,000. “I still believe we can do with reducing the cadres by a large number,” Wijesekera told reporters at a media briefing in Colombo on Tuesday (16).
To achieve this reduction, the CEB is undergoing institutional restructuring with a 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month timeline. “We cannot oust 21,000 out of the 26,000 cadres because we only need 5,000. Out of the 21,000, some should leave with VRS and some others through retirement. Annually, 1,200 employees retire,” Wijesekera explained.
The CEB trade unions have opposed the restructuring, which involves breaking the entity into separate institutions and reducing the number of employees. Currently, 4,000 cadres have retired, and the government has not recruited replacements for these positions.
However, Wijesekera assured that the reduction would be carried out justly. “We can’t just oust the current cadres. For some, we have suggested VRS. For others, we will not fill their positions upon retirement, except in areas where vacancies are essential,” he said.
“This is our policy decision. In line with that, we have not filled any of the 4,000 vacancies arising from retirement. We have recruited 20 engineers on a contract basis to meet immediate needs. But in the future, we expect to conduct a complete revision of cadre requirements for essential positions only.”
“In future, we will not have a single CEB but many institutions after restructuring. Those institutions will recruit according to their own requirements without filling vacancies arising from retirements,” he concluded.