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CEB employees highest paid in public service: Minister
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A Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) employee on an average earns Rs.68,000 a month and if their latest demand for a 45 per cent pay increase is met, the electricity bill of consumers will also have to be increased, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday.
He said CEB employees were the highest paid among public servants and their selfish demand for a 45 per cent raise would only further burden consumers by having to increase the electricity bills to meet the unreasonable salary demands of the employees.
The minister said the monthly salary of an oil mechanic, welder, driver, tree cutter or an upholster who belong to the lowest category was likely to increase from the present Rs.28,772 to Rs.41,719 while the monthly salary of a middle-level executive like the Senior Security Officer, Wharf Assistant, Human Resources Assistant or Senior Engineer Assistant would increase from Rs.74,863 to Rs.108,551.
The minister said the salary of a top-level executive like the General Manager, Additional General Manager, Chief Internal Auditor and Senior Accountant was likely to increase from the present Rs.108,465 to Rs.154,274 or from the present Rs.125,965 to Rs.182,000.
“This is only the basic or the minimum salary they draw. But with numerous allowances such as bata, and overtime and other fringe benefits, the take home pay can be much more,” the minister said. “Do not forget that there are hundreds of thousands of public servants who draw a salary which is less than half the monthly salary of a CEB employee.
The CEB annually spends more than Rs.12.5 billion to pay salaries and other payments to its 15,407 employees.
“It is high time to take a hard look at the struggles and demands by hundreds of trade unions whether they are bona-fide and free of political or personal agendas. Can they sincerely claim to have performed their duties properly and diligently? With irresponsible and selfish employees Sri Lanka will never be able to achieve her future objectives,” the minister said.
He recalled that CEB, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO), Ports and NWSDB unions had flatly turned down a government offer of an 18 per cent pay hike last October and instead launched trade union action demanding a 45 per cent salary increase.
The minister said the CEB, CEYPETCO, Ports and National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) employee salaries are the highest in the state or semi-state sector while the CEB employees draw the highest salaries among all of them. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)
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