GWU calls for bonus to mitigate power surcharge

Corinne Vella

Oct 10th 2008, 12:55

Gerald Fenech: "The government" does no such thing. Where do you imagine tax money comes from if not from employers and - surprise, surprise - employees themselves? If consumers (and that includes organisations as well as individuals) do not pay their own bills, someone else has to do so.

My suggestions? I have two: that business journalists appraise the net economic effect of such proposals, rather than praising them uncritically and then waiting to see what happens, and that we all adopt the principle that our bills are ours and not someone else's.

Byron Camilleri

Oct 10th 2008, 01:06

Charles Camilleri, you forgot that we have our ekonomija fis-sod!
Well that was what we were told before the 8th March...

michael seychell

Oct 9th 2008, 22:58

About ten years ago we had a situation where the Sant Government imposed astronomical increases in water & electricity rates + a hefty drainage tax and a Lm24.00 meter charge on each door not only houses but also on garages.

At that time the GWU did not even opened its mouth let alone suggesting a bonus. To be fair the GWU commissioned a study by Lino Spiteri and Dr. George Abela one an MP in Sant's Party, the other Sant's advisor!. The UHM was very vociferous as it is today - the difference being that in Dr. Sant's time the UIHM was taken to court and had they lost it would have meant the elimination of the UHM.

Today Tony and his Union are fighting with all their might, and this anti workers government rather than taking the workers representatives to court , is debating the proposed increases in various fora with all social partners including the GWU, despite the fact that they want ed
to rock the Government. No wonder that many believe that the true workers party is the PN, whilst the MLP is the party who tramples the workers rights.

Michael Seychell - Pieta

Albert Gauci Cunningham

Oct 9th 2008, 22:19

What about huge reductions in Solar Panels and the the right to own one whether you live in a house or an apartment??
What about the government going "solar" in all its departments and placing solar panels on all "housing" property which belongs to it??
What about giving the five energy saving bulbs now not in four years time??

The GWU proposal for compensation is good and i would like that bonus before Xmas but then after Xmas?? will the oil price go down?? Will I feel any better?? No No and No

The solution is going "solar" and we have to go NOW!!!!!!!! Thats the safest form of compensation and the wisest one too!!!!!

Gerald Fenech

Oct 9th 2008, 19:24

Corinne Vella: If I'm not mistaken it's the government which pays the one time bonus and not employers. Those are only pay the COLA which in view of the substantial price index increases is quite timid at Lm 2.50. What are your suggestions by the way?

Charles Camilleri

Oct 9th 2008, 17:37

Easy said Tony but please tell us from where will the Govt get the money because as i see it, Govt has only one way of raising money and that is either though direct or indirect taxes.

Corinne Vella

Oct 9th 2008, 17:11

I notice that no one who is complaining about the cost of electricity and water is disputing the validity of the revised rates. All that the people here are saying is that they want to pass the cost onto someone else. Why should anyone pick up your bills?

Corinne Vella

Oct 9th 2008, 17:07

Gerald Fenech: Business associations complain about the increased costs of utilities and then along comes a business journalist applauding a proposal that business absorb their employees' increased costs too, without any assessment of the net economic effect. Exactly where do you think the money is going to come from? Come on, tell us. We're dying to know.

Manuel Mifsud

Oct 9th 2008, 16:36

Although I agree with Karl Abela that we should do everything to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by e.g. using less elextricity, I agree with Tony Zarb that government should give a one time bonus. The amount requested is quite reasonable. I am sure Maltese people are wise enough to make better use of the extra cash rather than spend it all on electricity consumption.

Chris Borg

Oct 9th 2008, 16:33

@ Nigel Lawrence & Mario Debono. If there's inflation, it's natural that wages rise. How can people live on the same amount of money if costs increase? This is common sense.

Mr Zarb, you're being too timid. What is needed is a wage increase (if what the Govt. is proposing takes place) not a bonus. Malta is so unique....other govts. try to minimise the economic catastrophe, and our own govt. creates them.

p.s. Mela nsejtu zmienek Mar ?!?!

Gerald Fenech

Oct 9th 2008, 15:56

I think this bonus is reasonable - about Lm 25 if I'm not mistaken. Government should also consider a wage increase of at least Lm 2.50 weekly with an additional one time bonus in March of about Lm 25 too - the same as had been given when bread was increased. Let's just wait and see what will happen.

Nigel Lawrence

Oct 9th 2008, 15:18

Good ole TZ srikes again! Not only does industry have to pay extra for power, but he wants them to pay extra in wages too. Well, that at least should lengthen the dole queues.

mark psaila

Oct 9th 2008, 14:51

@ mario debono ( not De Bono pls !!)

remember that some time ago u were just a normal employee !!

John Debattista

Oct 9th 2008, 14:13

Hallina Tony, get the G.W.U working and fight this Goverment with all the other Unions so as to stop these stupid tariffs........................

paul fava

Oct 9th 2008, 14:06

So have you all forgotten when the UHM requested a Lm 9 weekly pay rise?!?!

@ GWU
Can you tell us how you came at that figure?!?!......it is to say the least ridiculous let alone enough for the 95% surchage!!!

Andrew Cachia

Oct 9th 2008, 13:28

A One time bonus is not going to do us any good...I have just received my final 6 month electricity bill and EUR 58.23 will not even come close to the EUR 170.00 that i am asked to pay EXTRA in electricity even though i have consumed some 400 units LESS than my previous 6 month bill.

This 95% surchage is going to kill us and if it is true that electricity is going to go up again,then that will put us into a coffin ready to be burried.

C. Camilleri

Oct 9th 2008, 13:25

@ Mario De Bono. Yeah right. REally good reasoning to fire 10% of the workforce. Have you ever heard of the multplier effect? Firing people will mean people will have less money to spend and in turn it means running capitalists out of business!!

l Galea

Oct 9th 2008, 13:13

@Mario De Bono
Nice social conscience and Christian charity that you have.
It speaks of slave drivers.

Sean Meli

Oct 9th 2008, 13:04

I would like to congratulate the General Workers Union for proposing that students should have their stipends revised according to the COLA.

Thanks for proposing somekind of compensation for the interest of students and their well being.

Mickel van Gurchom

Oct 9th 2008, 13:01

Firstly, the surcharge can go down as the oil went way under a hundred dollar a barrel, so what are we waitng for. Secondly Mario de Bono, you want for a once 58.23 Euro to let your employees work a whole year at 7 hour more every week, how cheeky some employers can be.

Karl Abela

Oct 9th 2008, 12:50

Is this all that the GWU can come up with to tackle the power cost issue?

So the whole world is trying to save money & emissions by reducing electrical consumption while the GWU is saying the contrary by asking for more money so that we can use up more electricity.

Although a one time bonus is welcome, it still remains what it its....one time! Tony, come up with something clever for once.

Andrew Camilleri

Oct 9th 2008, 12:40

Didn't the UHM propose a similar bonus back in 1997? If I'm not mistaken their idea was quite popular with a whole lot of people. So I ask myself...what's the difference?

Mario De Bono

Oct 9th 2008, 12:24

Of Course, he wants a one time bonus, and he wants us employers to pay for it. We will pay for your bonus by firing 10% of the employed workforce. Otherwise we will give the bonus if all workers accept a 47 hour week instead of a 40 hour week! what do u say to that?