Let there be light

Hard on the heels of threatened strike by the teachers we now have the CEB engineers straining at the leash to down their tools if the Government fails to meet two of their demands. By their actions they are trying to engineer a breakdown of community life and cause damage to the country’s economy.

The 500 member strong CEB Engineers Union has given a one week ultimatum to the Government to meet these demands after which they would begin a work to rule which was to have taken effect from yesterday.

One of the demand is for the removal of the CEB Chairman by next Wednesday and the other is to permit engineers to import duty free vehicles.

Both these as is apparent to anyone are mundane issues that could be resolved without resorting to drastic measures such as causing a countrywide blackout.

One recalls a similar CEB engineers’ strike in 1995 when the entire country was plunged into darkness for several days. On that occasion some engineers even resorted to sabotaging the generating machinery so that they would be permanently decommissioned and thus pre-empt their repairs by outside sources.

The authorities should be alive to this eventuality should the engineers decide to make good their threat and precautions taken. The Government of the day had to in the end bring the Army into the scene which we hope would not be the case this time around.

The engineers’ actions could only be termed irresponsible at a time the country is grappling with an economic crisis of major proportions. If their threatened actions materialise it could only lead to all round chaos and a standstill in production not to mention the adverse impression created in the minds of the investors.

True, engineers occupy the top rung as professionals and should be treated as such especially at a time the country is threatened with a brain drain given the attractive overseas prospects offered to skilled workers and professionals as seen in daily advertisements in the newspapers.

This however is no reason for holding the Government to ransom. The demand to oust the CEB chairman certainly is out of proportion to threatened action and it is hoped that an educated body like the engineering fraternity would take cognisance of this fact and that saner counsel prevails.

Besides, strikes of this nature are bound to have a negative impact on the decisive operations now being launched by the Security Forces to annihilate the LTTE and is a negation of the unity calls from all quarters to achieve this objective.

As men of learning commanding regard and respect of the public professionals such as engineers and doctors owe it to their countrymen to maintain exemplary conduct and act as torch bearers to lead the country’s march towards development.

Strikes are normally the staple of lesser minions and not associated with such worthies as doctors, engineers and teachers. If this is the trend there is no knowing where the country would end up.

The cancer of strikes and sabotage would creep into the every vestige of society resulting in destabilisation.

The Government therefore should look at this issue with the seriousness it deserves. Short of submitting to blackmail it should find ways to redress the grievances of such an elite band of professionals like our engineers keeping in mind the need for their skills and expertise in the unfolding development scenario.

This is especially so since the President has always laid emphasis on the recruitment of local expertise for the country’s development projects that are in the pipeline and what is more invited all professionals domiciled abroad to lend their expertise to development programmes in their Motherland.

What is needed is compromise and a conciliatory approach. This the President has amply demonstrated time and again. He has already increased the lowest salary level of public servants by almost two fold and absorbed the agitating unemployed graduates into the public sector.

Hence the need for the engineers to avoid precipitate action and exercise patience until their demands are granted.

The CEB has enough on its plate without having to contend with a strike by engineers. This can only detract from the major problems affecting the loss making behemoth.

There is also a looming power crisis as warned by the Power and Energy Minister who had urged the public to practise austerity measures. Add to this is the tussle between the CEB and the CPC with the latter threatening to cut supplies if bills running into billions of rupees are not settled.

The country can do without such home and home clashes at a time it is eagerly awaiting an end to the main battle that is being waged in the North to rid it from the scourge of terrorism and ensure development and prosperity.