Employees belonging to several trade unions in the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will picket outside the head office in Colombo on March 3, the day Power and Energy Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne has planned to submit the new Electricity Bill in Parliament, Lanka Vidulibala Sevaka Sangamaya General Secretary Ranjan Jayalal said at a press conference at Hotel Nipon on Monday.

Jayalal said moves were underway to gradually weaken the CEB before sale to the private sector at US Dollars 750 million. However, the plight of the 14,500 workers have not been considered in the event of a firm decision taken on the proposed sale.

CEB trade unions which met last week decided to make a request today to all 225 parliamentarians to oppose the proposed Electricity Bill and to sign a petition against the Bill opposite the head office on the same day. Also, all employees will send telegramms to the President expressing their opposition to the

Electricity Bill, on March 2 and hoist black flags opposite all CEB offices and to picket outside the CEB head office from 9 am onwards on March 3.

In the event of the Bill being passed on the same day all trade union leaders will meet to decide on the next course of action.