Petroleum strike : Warning from Minister

October 18, 2022 at 9:45 AM

Minister of Energy Kanchana Wijesekera has warned that action will be taken against employees and trade unionists disrupting petroleum services in Sri Lanka.

He issued the warning via a message on Twitter, stating that petroleum services have been declared essential services for the last 6 months.

“If any employee or trade union is found breaching the essential services regulations and disrupting services, immediate legal and disciplinary action will be taken against them,” Minister Kanchana Wijesekera added. 

The warning comes after petroleum trade unionists said they will stage a protest against the Petroleum Products (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill which is scheduled to be debated in Parliament today (18). 

Petroleum trade unions say that employees of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) fuel distribution centres at Kolonnawa, Sapugaskanda, and Muthurajawela will report sick today to protest against the bill. 

The Petroleum Products (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill was approved at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Power and Energy on October 04, with amendments in accordance with the decisions given by the Supreme Court.

The bill provides for the importation, supply, and distribution of fuel to parties other than the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC). (NewsWire)