More than 2,200 employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) who applied for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) have appealed to the Energy Minister for immediate intervention, citing severe hardship caused by delays in gazetting the “Appointed Date” for the restructuring of the utility
In a letter dated January 10, the employees said they 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 forms part of the government’s electricity sector reforms aimed at dissolving the existing CEB and establishing separate entities for power generation, transmission, system operations and distribution.
The VRS was gazetted on August 26, 2025, providing employees with a two-month window to decide whether to join the successor entities or exit under the scheme. The employees said about 2,200 staff members notified the CEB by October 27, 2025, of their decision not to transition, in accordance with legal provisions.
However, they allege that despite complying with all requirements, CEB management has refused to release them from service, preventing them from retiring, accepting private sector jobs, migrating for overseas employment or pursuing self-employment. The employees stressed that their immediate concern is not compensation, but the right to leave the service without further delay.
The letter notes that the Ministry of Energy had already indicated tentative appointed dates 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. The employees said the failure to gazette the date has left the successor companies without legal authority and prolonged uncertainty in the sector.
Concerns were also raised about instability at the Power Sector Reforms Secretariat (PSRS), with the employees noting that although the Director General had verbally assured that February 1, 2026, would be the appointed date, he has since resigned, effective January 15, 2026. They warned this has created a leadership vacuum at a critical stage of the reform process.
The employees highlighted significant humanitarian and professional impacts, including lost foreign job opportunities, visa delays, missed private sector recruitment cycles, and increasing financial and mental stress. They also pointed to administrative inconsistencies, claiming some employees who travelled abroad have received “Vacation of Post” letters that could affect their VRS entitlements, while others have been selectively allowed to withdraw applications.
In their appeal, the employees urged the Minister to gazette the appointed date on or before February 1, 2026, allow VRS applicants to exit the service without prejudice to their entitlements, and protect the rights of those already overseas due to time-sensitive employment opportunities.
They warned that continued uncertainty is affecting productivity at the CEB and undermining the effectiveness of the national power utility, adding that forcing employees who wish to leave to remain in service serves no benefit to the institution or the country.
