Over 2,200 CEB employees seek minister’s intervention over delayed VRS exit

Colombo, January. 10 (Daily Mirror) - A collective of more than 2,200 employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) who applied for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) has urged the Energy Minister to intervene immediately, citing severe hardship caused by delays in gazetting the “Appointed Date” for CEB restructuring.

In a letter today (10), addressed to the Minister, the employees said they had formally opted to retire under the VRS introduced in line with the Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 36 of 2024, as amended in 2025. The scheme was part of the government’s electricity sector reforms aimed at dissolving the existing CEB and establishing successor entities for generation, transmission, system operation and distribution.

According to the employees, the VRS was announced by Gazette on August 26, 2025, granting staff a two-month period to decide whether to join the new entities or exit under the retirement scheme. They said around 2,200 employees officially notified the CEB by October 27, 2025, of their decision not to transition, in full compliance with the law.

However, the employees allege that despite meeting all legal requirements, CEB management is refusing to release them from service, effectively preventing them from retiring, taking up private sector employment, migrating for overseas jobs, or pursuing self-employment. They stressed that their primary concern is not the immediate payment of compensation, but the right to leave the service without further delay.

The letter highlights that the Ministry of Energy had already communicated tentative “Appointed Dates” for restructuring through official correspondence. A letter dated November 11, 2025, identified January 1, 2026, as the technical appointed date, while another dated December 30, 2025, reconfirmed February 1, 2026, subject to Cabinet approval and gazetting. Despite these communications, the employees say the appointed date has not yet been gazetted, leaving successor companies without legal authority and prolonging uncertainty.

The group also expressed concern over instability at the Power Sector Reforms Secretariat (PSRS), noting that while the Director General had verbally assured that February 1, 2026, would be the appointed date, he has since tendered his resignation effective January 15, 2026. They warned that this has created a leadership vacuum at a critical stage of the reform process.

The employees described significant humanitarian and professional impacts resulting from the delay, including the loss of foreign job opportunities, difficulties in securing visas, missed private sector recruitment cycles, and mounting financial and mental stress on families. They also pointed to administrative inconsistencies, claiming that some employees who travelled abroad have received “Vacation of Post” letters that could jeopardise their VRS benefits, while others have been selectively allowed to withdraw their VRS applications.

In their appeal, the employees called on the Minister to urgently gazette the appointed date on or before February 1, 2026, permit VRS applicants to exit the service without prejudice to their entitlements, and safeguard the rights of those already abroad due to time-sensitive employment opportunities.

They warned that the prolonged uncertainty is adversely affecting productivity at the CEB and undermining the effectiveness of the national power utility, adding that forcing unwilling employees to remain in service serves no benefit to the institution or the country.