- Note that the above image is AI generated
A heated meeting between Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and CEB trade union leaders erupted into violence when security officers forcibly removed and allegedly assaulted a union leader, sparking outrage and deepening tensions over the restructuring of the Electricity Board.
A tense confrontation broke out yesterday (13) at the Ministry of Energy in Colombo during a high-level discussion on the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). The meeting, chaired by Energy Minister Engineer Kumara Jayakody, was meant to address trade union concerns, but instead descended into violence after two union leaders were forcibly removed from the discussion.
The incident occurred when Saminda Madugoda Gamage, Secretary of the Joint National Free Electricity Workers’ Union, submitted a letter to the Minister. The letter accused the Minister of acting unconstitutionally and expressed strong opposition to what union leaders described as his “let’s see” approach to the restructuring process. Following this confrontation, the Minister ordered security personnel to remove both Gamage and Priyantha Madukumara, President of the same union, from the meeting.
Eyewitnesses reported that CEB security officers, wearing blue uniforms, dragged Gamage from the upper floor of the building and threw him out of the premises. The situation quickly escalated into a scuffle, during which Gamage sustained injuries. He was later transported to hospital by a 1990 ambulance. Despite the drama, officials confirmed that he was in stable condition.
Union representatives who were present claimed that the Minister’s response revealed a lack of respect for workers’ voices. One union member stated that Gamage had merely expressed his frustration at the Minister’s repeated delays in addressing long-standing issues, only to be met with physical removal.
However, the Ministry of Energy presented a different account. An official explained that while Gamage and Madukumara were not originally entitled to attend the meeting, they had nonetheless been allowed to participate. According to the Ministry, they were expelled only after deliberately disrupting proceedings and attempting to derail the discussion.
For Gamage, the incident was humiliating and unacceptable. Speaking afterwards, he stressed that the Joint National Free Electricity Workers’ Union is a legally registered body with every right to raise its concerns directly with the Minister. He described the treatment he received as an assault by state-employed officers and vowed to continue pushing for accountability.
The event has exposed growing cracks in the ongoing process to restructure the Ceylon Electricity Board. Trade unions have long argued that restructuring plans are being pursued without proper consultation and that workers’ rights are being sidelined. Yesterday’s confrontation, which left a union leader hospitalized, underscores the depth of mistrust between the government and the CEB workforce.
Analysts say that the controversy could worsen industrial unrest in the energy sector at a time when Sri Lanka is under pressure to reform loss-making state enterprises, including the Electricity Board. Unions fear that restructuring could lead to job losses, salary cuts, or privatization, while the government maintains that reforms are necessary to ensure financial stability and efficiency.
The dramatic scenes at the Ministry highlight the precarious balance between reform and labor rights. With both sides entrenched, the future of the restructuring process now hangs in the balance. For many observers, the events of yesterday demonstrate the urgent need for meaningful dialogue, transparency, and respect for workers’ voices in order to avoid further clashes that could paralyze the nation’s energy sector.
