The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has decided to send on compulsory leave the trade union leaders who obstructed fuel distribution and intimidated workers yesterday (28).
The CPC and CPSTL premises will be out of bounds for them, it said in a statement.
Minister order action against disruption to duties
Energy minister Kanchana Wijesekara has instructed the chairman of both institutions to take disciplinary steps to terminate employment and legal steps against TU activists or workers who disrupted fuel disruption or disrupted work of other employees in violation of essential services orders.
In a tweet, he also requested the public not to panic over shortages in fuel supply.
No need to panic
There are adequate stocks of fuel in the country and distribution will continue, he said.
Fuel distribution has been normalized with the police and armed forces providing necessary security at the terminals and for distribution, Wijesekara added.
Assurance from distributors
Meanwhile, petroleum distributors say the minister has promised them to explain by the weekend the mechanism of handing over of filling stations to three petroleum suppliers who will enter the local market.
The association will not oppose it if the distributors or the consumers do not lose anything as a result, said its president W.S.S. Fernando.
Petroleum TUs were due to meet this morning to discuss steps against government plans to privatize the CPC.
