News
TU action paralyses Water Board
View(s):Trade union action by Water Board engineers has paralysed key activities such as providing new connections and work at project sites, a union official said
J.A.C Piyal, secretary of the Engineers Union of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, said union members resorted to trade union action, protesting over appointing engineer assistants to top posts bypassing engineers who were more qualified for such promotions.
He said some 298 engineer assistants were promoted this year to posts that should have gone to engineers. Mr. Piyal warned that their trade union action would continue until they received a written assurance from the authorities that their grievances would be addressed. The engineers held a demonstration outside the Water Board head office in Ratmalana on Thursday.
Water Board Chairman Karunasena Hettiarachi said the dispute had been 95 per cent solved but since there were court rulings on the promotions, some of the demands made by the engineers could not be met. He also assured that measures were being taken to ensure the smooth functioning of the board’s activities.