Unions say the production capacity of factories will be reduced by about 70 percent due to the proposed 13-hour power cuts.
Speaking to NewsRadio, trade unionist Ananda Palitha said due to lack of fuel for power plants, the general public is receiving electricity for only 11 hours a day.
He said even if the stock of 37,000 MT of fuel arrives in the country as planned, it is unlikely that the Ceylon Electricity Board will receive fuel, since priority will be given to the transportation sector.
Palitha said in that backdrop, if factories and the industrial sector collapse, then the unemployment rate in Sri Lanka would increase further.
He said instead of giving excuses and narrating fairytales, the government which resorted to selling state resources, must take action and address the crisis.
Ananda Palitha also noted that the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has been established to provide relief to the public and not merely to announce power cut schedules on a daily basis.
